From Newsprint Straight to the Heart
by PernDragonrider
Summary: Billy reading the Sunday newspaper and discovering personal ads in the classifieds. Eventually will contain slash, but not for first few chapters.
1. From Newsprint Straight to the Heart

**From Newsprint Straight to the Heart**

By: PernDragonrider

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers; they're owned by BVE, Disney, Toei Entertainment, Saban, and Ranger Productions. I'm just borrowing them for some angst and romance then I'll give them back. No money being made off of this.

A/N: Well something got past the steel wall of writer's block that's been hitting me for nearly two months. I want to thank the people at Live Journal who run the AWDT for this because their prompt for this week's challenge actually inspired this. The prompt was that the character(s) had to have something to do with a newspaper advertisement, like a personals ad. This is what my muses came up with and since it's the first thing that slipped past the writer's block. I ran with it. This will eventually contain a slash (male/male) relationship. Enough with the notes for now.. on with the tale:

**Chapter One – Classifieds and Conflict**

William "Billy" Cranston stumbled down the stairs half-asleep. His blond hair tousled and tangled, rubbing his barely open green eyes sleepily, and his blue pajama bottoms twisted low on his still trim hips while he attempted to straighten the red t-shirt that was twisted around his body. The wiry built former Power Ranger made his way to the kitchen on autopilot and still half asleep went through the chores required to get his coffee maker to produce his morning brew. While the ten-year-old coffee maker wheezed and gurgled as strong black liquid dripped into the warming pot below, Billy shambled to the front door and opened it. His eyes scanning the front porch and lawn for the paper that always managed to be there no matter how early he rose from his nightly slumber.

He spied the paper laying just a step or two from the front door and smiled slightly. Five o'clock on a Sunday morning and his paper was already on the porch. It never ceased to amaze him that the pimply faced teen who came by every Friday evening at precisely six thirty to collect the money he was due for the previous week's papers, would be so dedicated that his paper would be on his porch waiting for him at five in the morning on a Sunday. _"Sheesh, he must have as much time for a private life as we had back in high school with Ranger duties."_ Billy thought as he retrieved the paper from the porch and went back into his home. He went to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, some of his friends had called it "Zord fuel" because it was so strong, and sat down at the battered table to read the paper. He read everything from the front page to the last, including all the advertisements and classified ads.

Working his way through the large Sunday edition of the Angel Grove Gazette, Billy sipped coffee and eventually made toast, buttered with citrus marmalade and strawberry preserves mixed on top. He finally arrived at the classified advertisements and started skimming through them, reading quickly. He was almost to the end when a new classification caught his eye. _"Personals?"_ He thought and a shudder passed through him as he read down the column of small ads. He read between the lines and decided that placing a personal advertisement in the local newspaper was not how HE wanted to go about finding someone to share his life and home.

He continued reading, fascinated and revolted simultaneously, the personals column of the newspaper and was stunned when he read the final advertisement in that area. It read:

Reefside male, 27, brown hair, brown eyes, physically fit, scientist seeking males or females age 25 to 30 interested in martial arts, science, companionship, and romantic liaisons. Interested parties should send reply by fax: 555-835-9875, attention Personals Box 774477. E-mail – Box774477 personals. Or letters mailed in care of this newspaper and marked attention: Personals Box 774477.

"Absolutely preposterous." Billy said as he tossed the newspaper into the garbage can, the personals section missing and falling down between the can and counter. Billy went about his usual Sunday routine not knowing that that small advertisement in the Angel Grove Gazette would come back to haunt his life in the days and weeks to come.

---------- BEEP BEEP, BEEP-BEEP, BEEP BEEP ----------

While William Cranston, Billy to his friends and Will to his colleagues at work, was reading the Angel Grove Gazette that Sunday morning. The person that the classified advertisement was placed for was sitting gloomily in his basement looking at the destruction of years worth of work that still needed to be seen to even two years after it had been trashed and destroyed.

"_I've got to get this mess sorted out."_ The wiry-built good-looking man thought as he sat near the bottom of the stairway and simply stared dejectedly at the mess before him. His short hair, spiked up with gel in placed was in complete contrast to the rough growth of overnight beard, the scruffy looking green and white checked pajama pants and worn out, stretched out, oversized red t-shirt he sported. _"Face it Tommy, just look at the destruction. The grants from Mercer were all you had and on your teaching salary replacing this stuff is out of the question. Just shovel everything into the city dump and let it be. Time to teach, not fight in spandex. You're nearly thirty years old. Time to pass the mantle onto other younger shoulders and rest on your laurels."_

"SHIT!" Tommy Oliver spat out angrily as he tossed the now empty coffee cup that had been cradled in his hands violently across the room and stormed back up the stairs and to the telephone in the kitchen. He snatched the handset off of the charging base with such force that the base wobbled before settling back against the wall with a creak and squeak of tortured plastic that did nothing to help calm the angry man that was jabbing the buttons on the phone with such force that the handset shuddered violently every time his finger made contact with a button. Dialing complete, Tommy stabbed is finger into the 'on' button and waited, impatiently, as the call was placed.

"Haley's Cyberspace, Haley speaking." Came the happy, cheerful greeting out of the earpiece.

"It's me." Tommy barked into the phone his anger at himself and the destruction of years of hard work welling up to where he couldn't control it anymore. "I can't deal with it, Hales. I want the shit gone, yesterday."

"Calm down, Tommy." Haley said her voice going from happy and cheerful to soothing and calming in a heartbeat. "We've talked about this since it happened. The computers are salvageable and the rest we can rebuild as we go. It's going to take time, patience, and money, but it will be up and running again, soon."

"Money I don't have and can't get, Haley." Tommy spit angrily into the phone. "Shit even the red tape I had to jump through for some of that can't be done again without corporate backing and I'm not going that route again. It's what got me into this mess again in the first place."

Haley sighed quietly as her brain worked on a way to calm someone that couldn't be calmed lately. "Tommy, come in for some caffeine and company. You staying cooped up out there without anyone around is not good for your disposition. You need to find a girlfriend, boyfriend, or someone to spend time with. It's your summer vacation you shouldn't be doing more than planning your next year's teaching syllabus or going away to some exotic location for a much deserved rest and relaxation. It's been two years and nothing has come close to Reefside, Blue Bay Harbor, Turtle Cove, Mariner Bay, or Angel Grove. Relax for once. Even Rangers get time off don't they?"

"No they don't." Tommy snapped into the phone as he paced his spacious living room with a scowl marring his handsome face. "What was all the crap over in Briarwood just this past year, huh? It had to be Ranger related; nothing like that happens that doesn't involve some kind of Power Ranger team. I can't drop it and I can't live without knowing what's going on. I've never liked being in the dark about anything to do with the Rangers and I'm not going to start now. The last time I woke up feeling like this was two days before Zedd unleashed that damned Green Crystal on me and siphoned off those powers into five other kids he'd turned evil. Something is coming. I don't know what, but I can feel it all the way down into my soul."

"I don't know about that, Tommy." Haley said quietly as she remembered the anger, the agitation, and the anxiety that Tommy had before he went off to do more research with Anton Mercer and came back without him and the island lab they'd worked on blown to bits and Mesogog running around on the loose. "Come into the Cyberspace and we can work on it from here. Conner, Kira, Ethan, and Trent will be home from college day after tomorrow. We can all get together and do some more work on the lair then. Just come in before you destroy your house, all right?"

"All right!" Tommy groused into the phone even as he had stopped his pacing and was storming up the stairs toward his bedroom and the clothes he'd need for going into Reefside. "I should be there in about an hour or so, Haley. Talk to you then and I'll try and calm down before I get there. Maybe I'll take a few minutes to meditate or something before leaving."

"You do that, Tommy." Haley said cutting the connection with a heartfelt, "See you in an hour then." She sighed as she hung up the phone and turned back to the mostly empty café she owned and ran. _"I hope that personal ad I ran in the Angel Grove Gazette nets one of his old friends up this way; even if it's just to ride him about placing it in the first place. He needs someone here for him and that's the only way I could get their attention without him knowing immediately."_

---------- End of Chapter One ----------

Notes: I'm going to continue this, hopefully working from the prompt for next week's AWDT into it. Feedback is welcome and appreciated at all times.


	2. Of Fossils and Fortunes Chapter 2

**From Newsprint Straight to the Heart **

By: PernDragonrider

**Disclaimer:** Buena Vista Television, Disney, Saban, Toei, and Ranger Productions own Power Rangers; not me and I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long delay in updating this fic. A very bad case of writer's block descended upon my brain and it's just now lifting topped off with school and dealing with my mother's illness. This is set in between the end of Mystic Force and the beginning of Operation Overdrive. Enjoy and as always feedback is very welcome and appreciated. Thanks, Pern.

**Chapter Two – Of Fossils and Fortunes**

Tommy sighed as his phone rang at one in the afternoon. For the last two weeks Hayley, Ethan, Trent, Kira, and Conner had been cleaning up the destroyed remains of the one time control center for the DinoThunder team that was. It was finally done and what couldn't be salvaged had been taken away in a dumpster. Tommy entered the house and answered the phone.

"Oliver speaking," He said into the handset, especially when he didn't recognize the phone number that was blinking on his Caller ID display.

"Dr. Oliver?" A deep male voice replied.

"Yes this is Dr. Oliver; how can I help you?"

"Dr. Oliver, my name is George Michelson and I'm calling on behalf of Collins Industries." The man on the phone answered with a friendlier tone but it was still a deep resonant voice. "I'm calling because while digging the foundations for a new building at the Silver Hills complex we believe that the skeletal remains of a dinosaur have been recovered. Your name is on the list of paleontologists that the state historical department will back to examine the find, verify the species, and oversee the dig to remove the fossilized remains. We'd like to have you come down, at your earliest convenience, to examine what we have and to give Mr. Collins an estimate of how long exhumation will take or if we need to move the proposed new building to a different site."

"Why me?" Tommy asked very warily and wearily. "I know that there are many more well know paleontologists in the state than me and I know I'm on the bottom of the list because I've only had my doctorate for a little over three years now because I'm not active in the field; I'm teaching high school science in Reefside."

"We know, Doctor Oliver, but you come highly recommended by a business associate of Mr. Collins. Anton Mercer gave Mr. Collins your name and Mr. Collins decided, after consulting with his board of directors, that he wants you to be the head of this project, sir. Mr. Collins would like you to at least come down to Silver Hills and examine the site to see if it's something that would peak your interest. He also said to tell you that the skeletal remains, of this particular dinosaur, were not something that he would trust to just any ordinary paleontologist. He wanted one that would be familiar with an offshoot of the Tyrannosaurs Rex variety that was called, by some, a Quantasaurs Rex."

"I'll be down there tonight." Tommy said with a voice honed from years of commanding other rangers, as his whole body went stiff at the mention of the name of the Zord that the Time Force Quantum Ranger, Eric Myers, had controlled. "Cordon off the site and post a guard if you would. There are fossil hunters out there that would loot a find like this for the profit."

"That's already taken care of, Doctor Oliver." Michelson replied with a smile. "Stop at the main gate and show your driver's license to the guard on duty. He'll arrange for escort out to the site for you. You're already registered in at the Best Western Hotel that's about two miles from our complex. All you have to do is show your license and sign the book. Collins Industries will cover your expenses while you're here to examine the site and should you decide to take on the task of leading the team for the archeological dig; then they will continue to be covered by our company."

"All right. I have to make a couple of phone calls and then I'll be on my way down to Silver Hills. I should arrive sometime around eight o'clock. I'll call if I'm going to be delayed."

"Very good, Doctor Oliver, until we can meet in person, then."

Tommy didn't even say goodbye, but cut the connection and then took the handset with him as he went back into his basement and his small 'Ranger' office down there. He opened a leather bound address book and dialed the cell phone number for Eric Myers.

"Myers here," Eric answered with a smile on his face. "What's up that you'd be calling me on a Sunday afternoon, Tommy?"

"I need some information, Eric." Tommy replied completely honestly. "I just got off the phone with a George Michelson that claimed he worked for Collins Industries and that while a construction crew was digging the foundation for a new building that they uncovered a most interesting fossil?"

Eric smiled as he answered. "Michelson is Mr. Collins assistant, Tommy. And I do know that construction was halted on the new building yesterday because they ran into some old bones mixed in with mechanical parts. Wes would have more information because I think he's heading up the security for that, but I do know that Mr. Collins called the gate and had your name put on the approved entrance list to access the site."

"Eric this Michelson guy said that there was a Quantasaurs Rex skeleton found. What gives?"

"Tommy, they did find something that looks exactly like my Zord in the chamber the construction crew broke into accidentally. The other thing, from what I've heard straight from Wes and Mr. Collins, is that the stupid construction crew probably destroyed an entirely intact dinosaur skeleton before they were ordered to stop. Mr. Collins takes the historical preservation laws very seriously and he wants someone that can be trusted to do everything as by the book as possible for this. He's already contacted the authorities to alert them to the construction crew's liability in destroying an intact fossilized skeleton of a suspected dinosaur. If it proves to be a dinosaur skeleton, that construction crew is in for some hefty fines. You coming down to check it out?"

"Yeah, just wanted to make sure that this guy was on the level and that I wasn't walking into something blind, Eric. I'm headed to pack an overnight bag and then headed out. I should be at Collins Industries sometime around eight tonight."

"See ya then, Tommy, bye." Eric said closing his cell phone with a small smile and a satisfied nod to himself.

Tommy hung up the phone on his end, went to his bedroom, pulled out a medium duffle bag, and started stuffing clothing inside. He grabbed two business suits from the closet and placed them into a suit bag along with a pair of dress shoes and two pairs of dress socks. He finished packing by putting his toiletries into a small bag in the bathroom and then tossing them into the duffle bag and zipping it up. He took both bags downstairs and double-checked everything in the house. A quick call to Hayley, asking her to get his mail and tell her were he was going and why; then he was out the door and settling everything into his jeep for the ride to Silver Hills.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Billy Cranston was seated at his kitchen table reading the paper again; this time over his dinner, which consisted of a ham sandwich, potato salad, and coleslaw picked up from the local deli on his way home from work. It was Friday and Billy was relaxing with the evening paper when his house phone shrilled. Sighing and dropping the paper on the table he picked up the cordless handset and answered.

"Cranston residence, may I help you?" Billy answered distractedly as he continued to scan the paper's classified ads.

"Will, it's Tony Majors from Special Projects." A male voice answered and Billy smiled for he and Tony usually worked together on one project or another during the week.

"What has developed that you felt the need to contact me at my domicile, Tony?" Billy asked with a bit of curiosity seeping into his otherwise normal easy-going tone of voice.

"Just got a call from Mr. Collins' assistant in Silver Hills, Will." The man replied excitedly. "Seems there's been some kind of unusual discovery at the main facility and they're calling in all the specialists from all over the corporation. The big man's assistant called here looking for you so expect a call at home. You're probably headed to Silver Hills within the next twenty-four hours, my friend. Anything in your lab you need to have looked at?"

"There are several projects currently in my lab, Tony." Billy said with a sigh. "There are none that will need any attention given to them right away. If and when Mr. Collins's assistant contacts me for this project I will contact you and security to enact the necessary measures to insure everything is safeguarded. Until then I am going back to my dinner. Good night, Tony." Billy hung up the phone and placed it back on the table with a moue of worry that quickly disappeared as he was drawn back to the paper and his reading.

He'd just finished the advertisements for the personals section when his phone rang again. Billy grabbed the phone on the second ring. "Cranston residence; Billy speaking," He said with a slightly annoyed tone as he was trying to work the crossword puzzle from the paper.

"Mr. Cranston, my name is George Michelson from Bio Lab in Silver Hills. I'm Mr. Collins's executive assistant. I'm calling because Mr. Collins would like you to come down to the Silver Hills facility to work with an outside consultant on an archeological find that has recently been unearthed during the construction for a new building here on the property."

"I will have to take care of some experiments in the lab, here in Angel Grove, Mr. Michelson. How quickly to I need to arrive in Silver Hills?" Billy asked, keeping his exasperation carefully covered.

"There's a Bio-Lab jet on its way to Angel Grove as we speak, Mr. Cranston." Michelson answered calmly. "I'm sure your associates at our Angel Grove facility can competently handle taking care of your experiments. The jet should be there within the hour. Mr. Collins would like you to be onboard and enroute back to Silver Hills within an hour after the jet lands."

"Very well, Mr. Michelson, I will make the necessary arrangements for my experiments as well as packing sufficient clothing for the trip. How long will my presence be required in Silver Hills?" Billy asked, already mentally ticking off a list of things to be completed before he left.

"Approximately a month maybe two," Michelson answered calmly. "Your accommodation arrangements have already been taken care of, sir."

"Very well," Billy said with a sigh. "I will do my utmost to meet Mr. Collins's travel arrangements, but it might be a little long than one hour. I will need to make arrangements for someone to come and take care of the house too."

"Very well." Michelson said with a huffy tone. "I will inform Mr. Collins of your possibly delay. Have a safe flight." The last was said with a very detectable smile, but Billy wasn't smiling when, before he could answer, Michelson hung up.

"DAMN IT!" Billy said, uncharacteristically slamming the phone back into its cradle. He picked the handset back up and dialed a long familiar number, waiting impatiently for an answer. His answer came on the second ring.

"Hey, Billy, What's up?" The voice replied happily through the phone lines.

"I would request that you come and see to the house, please. I have been unexpectedly called out of town for something job related. I might be as long as two months – maybe longer." Billy said with a hurried tone.

"Sure thing, bro," The answer came and Billy found himself relaxing in relief.

"Thank you so much, Jason." Billy said with relief. "The fridge is fully stocked and you shouldn't have any problems with anything. I'll take care of making sure the expenses on the house are paid via online."

"Not a problem, Billy." Jason answered with a smile. "So when do you have to head out? Need a ride to the airport?"

"Affermative, Jason." Billy said smiling finally. "A Bio-Lab jet will pick me up at the airport. Jason – thanks."

"Anytime, Bill." Jason said smiling himself. "Okay I'll swing by and pick you up in about half an hour. That will give me a chance to pack an overnight bag and I can get more of my things later on. You take care of packing up what you need and getting your work arrangements made. I'll get you to the airport. This way your car won't be left there. Just call when you know when you'll be back home. I'll pick you up again."

"I will be sure to inform you of my return, Jason." Billy said as he continued to tick off things on his mental list. I should be prepared to travel when you get here. Until then…" Billy hung up and dialed the number for security at the Bio-Lab Angel Grove plant. He spoke with the person on duty and instructed them on what was going on in his lab and who was allowed inside during his absence.

Billy quickly threw together clothing, mostly suits, and a few necessary items such as his shaving kit and some reading material. He didn't take many articles of clothing that could be considered relaxation clothes. By the time Jason pulled up outside the house he was packed and ready to leave. He grabbed his travel bag and was already opening the door when Jason knocked on the door. He made one extra detour and grabbed his laptop so he would have it for making notes and doing research if necessary. He climbed into Jason's truck and smiled at his friend. They didn't have to say anything to each other during the trip, each was comfortable with the silence. They arrived at the small airport and Billy got out, waving good-bye to Jason with a smile on his face. Jason stayed at the airport until the jet took off. He returned to Billy's house, sighing as he cleaned up a bit, and then he dropped onto the couch and turned on the television, cussing slightly because he'd forgotten Billy never got cable or satellite service. Jason found a football game and relaxed; knowing Billy would call as soon as he made it to Silver Hills.

While Billy was airborne, enroute to Silver Hills, Tommy was in the process of driving to the exact same destination as Billy. Tommy arrived at the designated hotel Michelson had told him about just a scant ten minutes ahead of Billy. Since Bio-Lab had provided Tommy's room, his check in time was quick.

Billy's check in was just as quickly accomplished. He sighed as he surveyed the room. He put his laptop down and discovered, that for some unknown reason, he'd brought the personal's section of the newspaper. Tired and exasperated from his trip he opened his laptop and uncharacteristically replied to the ad he'd circled a few days before. The one he'd remembered seeing from the previous week. _"Well he wants male or female company and Reefside isn't that far away."_ Billy thought as he typed the e-mail. _"Hopefully he will be amenable to meeting with me. I have been alone for far too long. Perhaps this is a strange way to meet someone, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I believe Jason said that at one time, or was it Tommy. Doesn't matter which, but I KNOW I've held every single man I've met, since then, up against their standards. All have fallen short. Cestria said I might be one destined to not have a mate, but I will never know if I do not try. Thank you for that bit of advice, Trini, I do miss you my friend." _

Billy made sure to include his updated contact information in the e-mail he was composing. He reread the e-mail four times before sighing and clicking the send button. _"I am who I am. My speech patterns, activity patterns, and everything that makes me, me. I will not change them to impress an unknown person."_ He thought with some pride after he'd clicked the send button.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Hayley was closing up for the night when her computer chirped gently to inform her of an incoming e-mail. She double checked the sender and smiled. "Well, someone answered that ad I put in for Tommy. Let's see who." She said as she clicked the e-mail and started reading. Five minutes later she was still wracking her brain to translate some of the language in the e-mail and she smiled once it was translated to where she didn't have to use the vocabulary she'd not used since graduate school.

"Well, I'll be damned." Hayley smiled, as she finally understood the e-mail. "There's only one person this could be. "Who would have thought that the sheep, turned wolf, turned fish would have responded to this. I would have put my money on Jason or one of the women answering first."

She chuckled as she sent a reply and then she sent an e-mail to Tommy, asking him to meet a 'friend' of hers at a local coffee shop in Silver Hills. Hayley smiled and turned off her computer for the night. This would either work to get Tommy some much needed companionship or else that it would blow up in her face. Either way she was tired of hearing him whine about being alone. They'd tried, the couple thing, and it hadn't worked. They were too good of friends to make good lovers. Something they both were glad they'd not destroyed.

End of Chapter 2

A/N: I do apologize for the long delay. Between school work, taking care of my mom, the house, and the dog. It's been a long time since I had the luxury of just sitting down and working on my stories for PR. This chapter isn't how I would have liked it to be, but it's done. Trying to make it fit the way I'd like and would just mess the whole thing up and have me starting from scratch. I will more than likely be WAY OUT of character for Tommy and Billy during this tale. It's what came out of the brain for this and again an apology if this isn't up to my usual standards. I'm out of school until the 24th of September and trying to use the time to update the three tales I have had hanging in limbo forever. Please, leave a review. I appreciate you, the reader's feed-back on this.

May the Power Protect You – Always!

Pern.


	3. Coffee, Reunions, & QRex's

From Newsprint Straight to the Heart 

By: PernDragonrider

**Disclaimer:** Buena Vista Television, Disney, Saban, Toei, and Ranger Productions own Power Rangers; not me and I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long delay in updating this fic. A very bad case of writer's block descended upon my brain and it's just now lifting topped off with dealing with my mother's very slow recovery from a broken leg (due to metasisized breast cancer) and her battle with the cancer. Doctor appointments, house keeping, and other domestic chores have kept me away from writing anything more than a grocery list or a list of medications for a doctor – until now.

Chapter Three – Coffee, Reunions, and Q-Rex's 

Tommy checked his e-mail and then cussed very colorfully as he read the most recent one from Hayley. "Damn to hell, Hayley." He griped to his empty hotel room. "I'm here to work, not socialize with old friends of yours." He was going to send her a note telling her to keep the appointment when he decided to meet this 'friend' of Hayley's. "Maybe, just maybe, this friend will be someone I need to meet." Tommy thought as he erased the nasty e-mail he'd just composed and wrote her a terse reply that just said, "Okay, but I hope you haven't promised any other meetings with this 'friend' of yours. I'm here to work, not on vacation, Hales."

Tommy noted the time he was to meet Hayley's friend and set his alarm clock so he'd be able to take a shower before heading to the Starbuck's that the hotel boasted in the lobby. "Well, at least she set this meeting with her 'friend' where I'd have enough time to have my own coffee and still make my appointment at Bio-Lab." Tommy went through his nightly routine and got ready for bed, after checking a few more e-mails and smiling at the one from Jason complaining about Billy's lack of cable or satellite television service.

Tommy sent Jason a reply telling him to just call the cable company and order cable for Billy. "He never pays attention to the television anyway, bro. Just order it for him and pay the bill yourself. This way when you're staying there while he's out on business you can watch something decent. Gotta run, have to get some sleep, since I'm off on a project. You need me, just drop me an e-mail or call my cell. Just don't expect an answer quickly, unless it's an emergency and then go through Hayley. The emergency call will get to me soon that way. Catch ya after this is over with, if I've got ANY vacation left."

Tommy shut down his laptop for the night and made himself comfortable in the large king-sized bed in the room that Bio-Lab had booked for him. He quickly fell into a deep sleep.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Hayley quickly sent a return reply to the e-mail, trying her best to make it sound like she was a man and not a woman. Only long association with Tommy enabled her to make the e-mail believable and she reread it for errors and then smiled brightly as she hit the send button.

"Now let's hope that Cupid will shoot his arrows true for this." Hayley said to herself as she too prepared to call it a night.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Billy was ready for bed and as he usually did he checked his e-mail account one last time before shutting his laptop down for the night and making sure it was fully charged. He saw that he had a reply from the advertisement he'd answered and he read the missive, a small smile playing about his lips as he did. "So, meet in the morning for coffee, in the coffee house down in the lobby; that works very well for me and the time is early enough that I'll still be able to have a decent conversation while not being late for whatever has been uncovered at the Bio-Lab facility here." Billy thought as he sent another reply letting the person know that he'd be there at the appointed time. "Perhaps having to travel down to Silver Hills won't be such a pain in the ass. My experiments, in Angel Grove, were at a critical stage and will have to be restarted once I return. Perhaps some companionship here in Silver Hills will make up for that loss, but I highly doubt it."

Billy didn't wait for an answer to his reply, but shutdown his laptop and hooked it up to the charger. He retired to bed, setting his travel alarm for enough time to get through his morning routine without rushing so that he could make the meeting with the person from the personal ad as well as getting to the Bio-Lab facility on time as well.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Tommy was, as usual, running late the next morning. He still wasn't a morning person, even after all these years. "God I hate mornings." He groaned as he quickly showered, shaved, and got dressed. Putting styling gel into his hair was also an automatic thing he did every morning. Keeping it spike up was easier than any other style he'd tried. "Besides, it's not like I'm trying to make an impression on Hayley's friend anyway." Tommy said to the steamy mirror as he grabbed the duffle bag of archeological tools and the hard travel case with his laptop inside. He checked the time and found that he would actually be on time for the meeting. He smiled again and set out for the Starbuck's located in the lobby of the hotel.

Getting into the Starbuck's, Tommy looked around and didn't see anyone that looked like they'd be a friend of Hayley's, but he got the largest coffee they sold and took a seat where he could see the door. Less than two minutes later he smiled and stood up calling out, "Bill! Billy! Over here." Tommy motioned as he sat back down smiling with pleasure at running into an old friend of his own, in of all places, Silver Hills.

Billy looked up and he smiled as he recognized Tommy. "Be right there, Tommy." He said as he turned and placed his order with the smiling woman behind the counter. Tucked under his arm was the folded paper with the personal ad. Billy set the paper down, paid for his triple espresso and coffee combination, picked the paper back up, and made his way over to where Tommy sat.

"It's been a long time, Tommy." Billy said setting his coffee down and putting the hard aluminum case containing his laptop where he could keep an eye on it. "What have you been up too and what brings you to Silver Hills?"

"I've been teaching high school science in Reefside for four years, Bill. Had a stint in black during my second year there and now I'm here because my mentor, Anton Mercer, gave my name to Mr. Collins for a dig here. Something about them discovering dinosaur bones while digging the foundations for a new building on the Bio-Lab property. I'm meeting Wes Collins and Eric Myers at the Bio-Lab facility to look over the site and see if I can identify the bones. Shouldn't take long to get them out, but it will delay construction for a bit."

"Interesting," Billy said after taking a sip of his coffee and espresso mixture. "I've been called here for nearly the same reason, Tommy. However I have a little more information and I believe we're not looking at dinosaur bones, but perhaps something related to our high school extracurricular activities. The man I spoke with said that what was discovered was more than dinosaur bones."

Tommy took a drink of his coffee and went back over his telephone conversation with Mr. Collins's executive assistant. He lowered his voice and double checked to make sure that no one nearby was interested in their conversation before he spoke. "Did he say something about a Quantasaurus Rex?" Tommy asked quietly.

"I did not press for information, Tommy." Billy told him in a matter of fact tone of voice. "When the executive assistant to the man that signs your paychecks says to come to the main facility for some research, you don't ask many questions and just do what you are told. However, I am extremely put out that I had to leave multiple research projects that are all in the critical stages of development and will not be viable upon my return."

"Same as always, Bill." Tommy told him smiling softly. "Ahh, maybe we'll be working on the same project. If not maybe we'll have time to get together and talk over old times."

"Actually I am hoping to meet someone here this morning, but it seems that I've been stood up." Billy said as he looked around and didn't see anyone that seemed as if they were searching for someone.

"So am I, but I think Hayley's friend might have gotten their wires crossed." Tommy told him. "Meeting with a girlfriend?" Tommy asked with a light, teasing tone.

"Ah, no, Tommy," Billy said with a slight blush as he showed Tommy the paper with the advertisement he'd answered before leaving Angel Grove. "I've grown tired of not having someone in my life and took steps to rectify that situation, but it seems as if the person that placed this ad has gotten cold feet."

Tommy read over the ad and then scowled slightly. His tone was stiff when he spoke, "No, you didn't get stood up, Bill; I got set-up by a good friend that thinks it's her job in life to get someone in mine."

"What do you mean, Tommy?" Billy asked, truly confused at Tommy's reaction and his tone of voice.

"I mean that the ad you answered was placed by a good friend of mine and that the person you're supposed to meet is me. Hayley, my friend, asked me to meet a 'friend' of hers her this morning – at the same time you were supposed to meet the person that placed the ad. She set me up, Bill." Tommy's voice was bland, but long association gave Billy the ability to see that he was also mad as hell at his friend.

"Does she have a reason to set you up, Tommy?" Billy asked trying to diffuse Tommy's anger.

"She should mind her own business and stay out of mine. Just because I don't have a girlfriend or boyfriend in my life isn't any reason for her to go placing personal ads to find me one." Tommy told him. "I'm sorry you got caught in the fallout, Bill. I'll speak with Hayley when I get done at Bio-Lab today."

"I don't believe I got caught in any fallout, Tommy." Billy stated very evenly and truthfully. "I find myself extremely glad that the person I was to meet turns out to be an old friend and one that I've admired for years. Perhaps we can, at least, have a dinner together while we're both here on business?"

"I don't think," Tommy started and then stopped before he finished. "Dinner sounds wonderful, Bill; I'd like that very much." Tommy checked his watch, grabbed his gear and motioned for Billy to do the same. "Come on or we're both going to be late. I'll give you a lift over to Bio-Lab. I drove in from Reefside last night."

Billy quickly finished off his drink, tossed his and Tommy's cups in the garbage, and then collected his own belongings as he followed Tommy out of the hotel and into the parking lot. He smiled to see Tommy putting his things into a black Jeep. "Still staying color coded I see." Billy said as he placed his things next to Tommy's on the back seat before climbing in the door Tommy had already unlocked for him.

"Habits die hard, Bill." Tommy said his good mood returned as he saw that Billy was wearing a navy blue suit, light blue dress shirt, and patterned blue and white tie. "See that you still go color coded too."

"I am, decidedly, uncomfortable without have something colored blue on my person." Billy said as he buckled in and closed the door.

"You're lucky then because I have to try and balance four colors every day." Tommy said as he started the jeep, backed out of the parking spot, and pointed the nose toward Bio-Lab. "Try having to deal with needing to wear green, white, red, and black every day. It gets to be a pain in the ass after a while. I've finally managed to get it down to a science though. Black pants, white tank top, red over shirt, and green underwear works for casual times, but for school and other business dealings I wear a white dress shirt, green cuff links and tie clip, a ruby earring that Jason got me for Christmas one year, with a black suit. It works and this way I'm comfortable and not craving a color all day long."

"I've noticed that most of us are uncomfortable if we're not wearing something with our color, colors, in it. Jason wears red, black, and green most of the time. Mostly red and black, but there are days that he's also sporting green too. From conversations with the others, it's the same for them too."

"Residuals of the power in our systems, Bill," Tommy said as he paid attention to the light early morning work traffic that was headed for Bio-Lab. "We all still have a connection the power, whether that power is active or not. That connection keeps our need for our color, but it does dilute with time to where you can actually wear another color and not feel completely uncomfortable. I still had to wear some green, even after getting the white powers. The same held true after getting the red Zeo and Turbo powers; I still have to have a bit of green and white in my clothes or I was completely uncomfortable. After working with the other reds, about four years ago now, to keep some rogue Machine Empire Generals from getting their metallic hands on Serpenterra – I had to wear more red, but that need gradually returned to where I could just wear a red gemstone or something like that. Even after bonding with the black Dino Gem I still had to have something white, red, and green on too."

"You've done your research then," Billy said with an appreciative and surprised tone of voice. "I discovered the residuals while on Aquitar. The need for clothing, colored blue, was one of the reasons I returned. The other reason was discovering that while I did care for Cestria, and she for me, there was no way we could ever be intimate together as I needed. Our physiologies were just too different for that."

"You were afraid of fish when we first met, Bill." Tommy said as he made the turn into the long drive that led to the Silver Guardian guarded gate of the Bio-Lab main facility. "I didn't think you'd stay as long as you did, but I am very glad you're back here on Earth. We all missed you, very much."

Tommy slowed the jeep to the posted limit of 15 MPH and slowed even more as he came to the closed gates. He smiled as he saw a familiar figure step from the nearby guard post. "Hi Eric," Tommy greeted the Quantum Ranger and co-commander of the Silver Guardians warmly. "You are expecting me; aren't you?"

"Yes, but nothing was said about you having a passenger, Tommy." Eric said with suspicion showing in his voice of who Billy was.

"Eric Myers I'd like you to meet Bill Cranston, first blue and my friend. He got called here for the same reason I did, apparently." Tommy replied with a smile. "Bill, this is Eric Myers, Co-Commander of the Silver Guardians and the Time Force Quantum Ranger."

"Dr. Cranston." Eric greeting him formally as the last name registered with him. 'Thank you for coming down from Angel Grove and I hope your flight was a good one, sir."

"Call me Bill or Billy, please Commander Myers." Billy told him smiling. "Dr. Cranston is for those that are NOT part of the brotherhood. Fellow Rangers are friends and my friends call me Bill or Billy. I expect you to do the same."

"All right, Bill." Eric told him as he found himself returning the easy smile. "But in return I want you to call me Eric. Like you I reserve the title for those that aren't friends or family." Eric hopped into the back of jeep, careful to not land on either of the bags in the back seat. "Open the gate, Davies." He called as he braced against the jeep's roll bar. "Straight ahead, Tommy. Oh and sorry for not asking for a ride, but me being here with you will get you through to the site quicker than if I just handed you your identification badges and gave you directions on how to get to the site."

"Not a problem, Eric." Tommy said checking to make sure his gear was in one piece. "Just move my bag over and have a seat. I don't like driving while someone is standing up like you are."

Eric did as Tommy told him and gave driving instructions as they traveled through the facilities. He also explained why Tommy and Billy were called into investigate this discovery. "It's weird, Tommy. The thing looks like it's my Q-Rex Zord, but it's rusted all to hell and it's falling apart. I called the Q-Rex, just to make sure and the thing didn't move, but my Q-Rex did show up ready for action. The lab rats, sorry Dr. Cranston, but that's what we call them, took samples of the zord and everything else they could. Carbon dating on the samples placed the age at somewhere around ten thousand or more years old. I gave them a sample of a small piece of the Q-Rex for comparison and they can't even get a carbon date on the material it's made of. So we're sure that this isn't the Q-Rex or a copy of it Ransik might have made. That's when Wes suggested to his dad to call in the experts; which is what you and Bill are doing here at Bio-Lab."

"Interesting," Tommy said as he followed Eric's directions. "Did you say that carbon dating put the pieces around ten-thousand years old?"

"They can't date the metal of the zord, much like the Q-Rex, but the soil and rock samples from the area dated at between ten thousand and fifteen thousand years old, Tommy." Eric replied.

"Was there just a single zord?" Bill asked his own curiosity and hope rising even though he tried to dampen it down.

"Yes and no." Eric replied. "Just wait and you can see for yourselves what I mean. Park your jeep over by that Guardian SUV, Tommy. I'll get Wes to get you a parking sticker for your vehicle and get your id badges ready. I have a feeling that you and Bill will be coming out here for a while."

Tommy parked his jeep where Eric had directed. He jumped out, grabbing his gear that Eric handed him. Billy did the same and very shortly the three men were making there way to where there was a hole in the ground, surrounded by mounds of dirt and rock. It was evident that there had been construction going on in the area, but it was just as evident that all construction had stopped and that the site was being protected and guarded by nearly fifty men, dressed like Eric, in navy jumpsuits and sporting navy baseball styled caps with the Silver Guardians logo embroidered on them. They approached the site and Eric escorted them into the area.

"The contractors were here digging down for the foundations for a new research facility when one of the excavators broke into this chamber from above." Eric told them as he helped them get over to a large, rough opening in the ground. "We enlarged the original break through spot just enough so that you can comfortably climb down on a ladder and we're working on getting an elevator or hoist bucket set up to make it easier. However, Mr. Collins wanted the site gone over by experts before we started opening up the top of the cavern first. I have to tell you both that the existence of this cavern didn't show up on the ground radar or any other scanning device that was ran over the proposed building site before construction began."

"Well ladder it is." Tommy said looping his arms through the handles of his duffle bag, turning it into an impromptu backpack. "At least that hole isn't half as small as some I've shimmied myself through on other digs, Eric."

Billy looked at the hole, the site, and at his clothes. Quickly making a decision he removed his suit coat, his tie, and his dress shirt. He handed the items to Eric. "Would you please put these back in the jeep for me, Eric. Had Mr. Collins's assistant told me I would be mucking around underground I'd have worn more appropriate clothing for the job."

Eric took the items from Billy and smiled. "I'll mention that to Wes, Bill. I'll also have one of the cadets run over to stores and get you a Guardian jumpsuit to wear. This way you won't trash your suit pants so much."

"Thank you and that would be greatly appreciated, Eric." Billy told him as he looked down into the hole that he and Tommy would be entering shortly. "Don't go in just yet, Tommy." Billy told him as he removed his laptop from the protective case and started it up. "I've modified my personal laptop and if this is what we are both thinking this is then I should be able to activate the lights with a few security commands issued from the laptop."

"Yeah I'm thinking the same thing you are, Bill." Tommy told him as he waited patiently for Billy to do what he said he was going to try.

Billy entered security commands, commands he'd never forget, into his laptop and sent them through a special connection into his communicator. Seconds later a small chirp was heard from his communicator and there was light pouring out of the hole illuminating the ladder and the actual depth they'd be climbing down.

"What the hell did you do, weld together a whole shit load of ladders?" Tommy asked as he saw the distance they'd have to climb down to reach the floor of the cavern.

"Actually, yes we did." Eric told him with a smirking smile. "I've made the climb four times already. It's not bad going down, but coming back up is the hard part. We measured the distance at twenty-five stories. It was either make a ladder or else that set up repelling gear to get people up and down. We elected to make the ladder because we weren't sure of the stability of the cavern roof for repelling."

"It's more like thirty stories, Eric." Billy told him as he prepared to climb down into the cavern below. "All I have to say is that if this place is what Tommy and I believe it to be; everyone that's been in and out of here were lucky they didn't set off any of the security measures that were built into this place."

"Security measures, what do you mean?" Eric asked sharply as his Commander's personality emerged fully.

"Did you or Wes lead the teams that went down into this place, Eric?" Tommy asked calmly, defusing Eric's anger somewhat.

"Wes and I both lead teams down, Tommy; why?"

"Then the security measure would have recognized the power signature of your morphers and not activated." Billy said as he started the climb down, his laptop secured in its case and slung over his shoulder, by the handle, like an ammunition bandolier. "If this is what Tommy and I believe it to be, Eric, then I personally programmed most of the security measures in place approximately thirteen years ago." Billy left it at that and started the long descent down into the, now well lit, cavern.

"He's not kidding, Eric." Tommy said giving Billy a head-start and then climbing onto the ladder to climb down himself. "IF this is what we're thinking then it's a damned good thing that you and Wes were leading the people down here and that you didn't touch much of anything. You'd have dead people on your hands and that wouldn't be a good thing at all." Tommy started down the ladder leaving behind a gaping and fuming, at the same time, Eric Myers.

End of Chapter 3

AN2: Well this is a very short chapter to continue with this tale. Hopefully the nearly year long writer's block has passed and now that my mother is, slowly, getting better I will be able to update this and my other tales on a regular basis. Please leave a review and let me know what you think and, as always, May the Power Protect you. Pern.


	4. Exploring Memories From the Past

From Newsprint Straight to the Heart 

By: PernDragonrider

**Disclaimer:** Buena Vista Television, Disney, Saban, Toei, and Ranger Productions own Power Rangers; not me and I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long delay in updating this fic. A very bad case of writer's block descended upon my brain and it's just now lifting topped off with dealing with my mother's very slow recovery from a broken leg (due to metasisized breast cancer) and her battle with the cancer. Doctor appointments, house keeping, and other domestic chores have kept me away from writing anything more than a grocery list or a list of medications for a doctor – until now.

**Chapter Four – Exploring Memories From the Past**

Tommy and Billy continued the long climb down the fabricated thirty story ladder and finally touched the floor of the cavern. Both men looked around and smiled as they saw what was actually inside.

"Aw, Man." Tommy breathed softly as he walked over gently laid a hand on the large mechanical representation of a tiger's foot. The paint was faded and there was enough rust that he couldn't tell whether it was white or yellow underneath, but it didn't matter.

"A very appropriate tribute, Tommy," Billy told him as he too gently placed his hand next to the other man's. "This appears to be an unnecessary part of the saber-toothed tiger zord that was left behind when the griffin zord was created. There appears to be multiple parts of various zords and, nearly, the entire bulk of Jason's Tyrannosaurs here." Billy stopped and looked around the room, memories of crawling through all of the machinery he saw assaulting his memories. "Now I know why it was necessary to teleport to the Zord Bay until the Power Chamber replaced the Command Center. The Zord bay was located far outside of Angel Grove; a very good tactical maneuver on Zordon's part."

Tommy looked around and saw two men, in Guardian uniforms coming down the ladder. "Looks like Wes and Eric are going to be joining us, Bill. I can't believe there are still pieces of these around or that they were found in Silver Hills." Tommy's tone of voice was awe filled and yet reverent at the same time.

"I too find myself filled with sad nostalgia and yet at the same time ecstatic that they survived all these years and weren't destroyed with the Power Chamber." Billy told him with his usual calm demeanor cracking slightly to let in the excitement and awe he was feeling too.

Without thinking about it, Tommy put his arm around Billy's shoulders as he stood near the huge foot of the saber-tooth tiger zord. "She would be proud something survived, Bill. Maybe we can take a small piece and have it permanently affixed to her headstone. I think she and all of us would like that, very much."

Billy turned into Tommy's light embrace and just let his head rest on Tommy's shoulder. "She would and I would like to do that for her, Tommy; something we can do to honor her memory and honor her sacrifice – something tangible for all to see. Even if they don't know what it represents those of us that were closest to Trini will know what it means to her memory." Billy's tone was one that clearly showed Tommy he was battling tears of grief.

"I've got you, Bill." Tommy said soothingly as he closed his arms around Billy and gently rubbed his t-shirt clad back in comforting circles. "Let it go, Billy. Let your grief out, finally. We all miss her, but I know you miss her the most, my friend."

"She didn't deserve to die like that, Tommy." Billy sobbed quietly into Tommy's shoulder. "The power was to protect us and she died. It shouldn't have happened. My friend, my sister, should still be alive."

"As long as we remember her, she lives in our hearts, Bill." Tommy told him quietly as he let Billy cry out his grief into his shoulder. "I believe the Power did protect her that day, Billy. Trini wouldn't want to remain alive in the shape she would have been left in. I think the Power protected her, even if it hurt us, by taking her spirit to the grid where we'll go when it's our time too."

"Is Dr. Cranston all right, Dr. Oliver?" A young man in a Silver Guardians uniform asked with a raised eyebrow and a worried tone as he clearly saw that Billy was crying in Tommy's arms.

"Dr. Cranston will be fine." Tommy told the man tersely. "You shouldn't be down here; so what are you doing here. Tell Commanders Myers and Collins that besides Dr. Cranston and me, only they are allowed down here for now. This isn't a place for someone that doesn't know what's going on and it's dangerous for you to be here.

The young cadet held out the jumpsuit he'd been sent to fetch for Billy to wear. "Um, I brought Dr. Cranston a change of clothes, Dr. Oliver, sir. Commander Myers made it plain he was to get them as soon as possible. Commander Myers and Commander Collins were called away from the site for a meeting so I brought the jumpsuit down as quickly as I could, sir.

"Thank you." Tommy said, his tone taking on the tones of leadership and booking no argument from anyone, nodded toward where his duffle was sitting on a rusty table. "Put the jumpsuit on my bag and then leave. This is no place for you to be unescorted."

"Yes sir." The cadet answered, saluted, and was already moving toward the ladder. He scurried back up to the surface so fast that Tommy mentally nicknamed the kid, monkey. He turned his attention back to the man in his arms, whose sobs were gradually subsiding.

"You shouldn't have been so rough on the kid, Tommy." Billy chided softly yet still with tears evident in his voice. "He was just following orders."

"Eric shouldn't have sent the kid down here, Bill." Tommy told him seriously. "We haven't made sure that the commands you sent have deactivated ALL of the security systems. I do not want to explain to Eric, Wes, the police, or that kid's parents why he died because he touched something he shouldn't have." Tommy exhaled and then his tone changed to a normal one. "Sorry, sometimes leader mode takes over, Bill."

"I'm used to it, Tommy." Billy said as his voice returned to back to normal and lost the sadness it had held minutes before.

"You're right and I will apologize to the monkey when I see him again, Bill." Tommy said reluctantly releasing Billy from his arms. "At least you've got some clothes to change into and before you go diving into everything here with gusto; we need to check out all the security systems and make sure nothing is still active. I really don't want to get trapped in a containment field or worst yet zapped into stasis for touching the wrong thing."

"Affirmative, Tommy." Billy said nodding as he quickly donned the jumpsuit the cadet had brought for him.

"Damn he's still built really well." Tommy thought as he watched Billy don the jumpsuit right in front of him. Tommy turned away before the result of that thought could be seen by Billy. "Damn, now is NOT the time to get a hard on for one of my best friends. Get a grip, Tommy; he's still mourning Trini's loss."

"That's better." Billy said as he looked up and caught Tommy's appreciative gaze. "Now I can get to work." Billy let any speculation about why Tommy was looking at him that way slide into the back of his brain, for later examination, as he pulled his laptop from its case. Billy took it over to a still intact and, thankfully, powered console. He set down the laptop and used the console to check on the status of everything he could. "Well at least we won't have to make the climb back up to the surface, Tommy." Billy told him looking up and the pausing as he scanned the room for Tommy, finally seeing him coming out from behind a very large piece of his old Ninja Falcon Zord. "We have teleportation capabilities, Tommy." Billy called out with a smile clearly conveying in his voice.

"That's good to hear, Bill; I wasn't looking forward to mucking about down here and then having to climb up forty stories without rest stops." Tommy replied looking up and seeing Billy's familiar smile directed at him. He felt his heart skips a couple of beats as Billy's eyes focused on him.

"Affirmative, Tommy." Billy said as he went back to work on the console, not knowing that by doing that he freed Tommy to move again. Tommy had been frozen, like a deer in a spotlight, by Billy's bright green gaze.

"Yeah," Tommy said with a slightly forced tone. "So what are we dealing with here, Billy? Is this our old Zord bay or just a repository for extra parts?"

"As near as I can tell, Tommy, it's both." Billy said without looking up from the readings parading across the console's monitor. "Apparently, after the destruction of the Command Center, Zordon and Alpha moved the Zord bay closer to Angel Grove and used this for a repository for extra parts. However all of the power systems, controls, and repair mechanisms are still intact and functioning properly. Were I to enter the commands the parts here would be repaired and made into as many zords as could be made fully functional."

Tommy looked up at the now lit, but rusty and dirty, Tyrannosaurs zord. "I thought that the original zords were destroyed to create the Thunderzords, Bill." Tommy commented as he just looked around at other zords in various states of repair. "Jase's old zord looks like it just needs called out into action, except for all the rust and some missing parts."

Billy nodded and looked at the zord too, allowing him to also get a very good look at Tommy too. "I know and according to the records that I just skimmed, the repair facilities have been going on automatic since the creation of the Thunderzords. Apparently Zordon never threw anything away and the records show that the Dragon Zord is also still fully functional and ready when needed. This is an amazing find, Tommy, Zords that can be made functional with just a few weeks or months worth of repairs. Not only that, but according to the computer's memory banks, there is a place within this facility that can recharge ANY depleted Ranger power; the coins, the Zeonizers, the turbo morphers, anything can be recharged in this facility. That includes the depleted Dino Gems, Tommy."

"What?" Tommy asked as he quickly jogged over to where Billy was standing. "You've got to be kidding me, Bill. Recharge our powers at anytime?"

"I am neither joking nor telling a falsehood, Tommy," Billy told him seriously and with an indignant tone of voice.

Tommy looked up at Billy and winced. "Sorry, Bill, but recharge the powers, all of them? That's incredible and I wonder…" Tommy trailed off remembering Jason's being late for the red's mission to the moon.

"Jason had no idea that this place existed at all, Tommy." Billy told him breaking into Tommy's revere. "He was late because of something as mundane as oversleeping and traffic that day. He had no idea that this place wasn't destroyed with the rest of the Power Chamber, Tommy. He has never held anything, Ranger related, from any of us at anytime – unless ordered to by Zordon."

"I know, Bill; I know." Tommy told him truthfully. "Finding this place and hearing you saying that just got me to thinking; that's all. Jason explained, on our way to the moon, just what happened to make him late. I know he wouldn't hold anything back from us, unless it was necessary."

"Good." Billy told him going back to the readouts on the console. He was lost in the reading and jumped into a defensive position when, what seemed to him to be just a few moments later, a gloved hand – belonging to a morphed ranger – landed on his right shoulder. "SHIT!" He cried out as he jumped away from the unfamiliar ranger.

Tommy came running out of the darker, shadowed parts of the complex at a full run, instinctively taking in Billy's defensive crouch and the presence of a morphed Ranger standing over his friend. "Eric!" Tommy called out and sighed when the morpher Ranger stepped away from Billy and turned to face him.

Eric powered down and glowered at both of them. "What the hell did you do to close in the roof? Wes and I got called out of a meeting because it was closing itself back up with you two still inside and you weren't answering any yells from the surface. I barely made it through the opening and now we can't get back out because it's too small for any of us to fit though." Eric snapped at both of them and pointed toward the, now, non-existent hole in the ceiling they'd climbed down earlier that morning.

"Must be the automated repair systems," Billy speculated as he typed in some commands into the console. "Yes, that's what happened to your 'hole'. The automated systems repaired the breach once I brought the facility back online."

"You brought it back online?" Eric questioned and demanded at the same time.

"Had to bring most of the systems online to check them," Billy replied with a very dismissive tone as he went back to the readings the console was giving out. "Tommy, would you check the breakers in the power room? I think there's one that's been busted over the years." Billy made a soft tisking sound as he looked back over the readouts, completely ignoring Eric's presence.

Tommy, relieved that something or someone wasn't attacking turned to comply with Billy's request and tisked himself when he saw that Billy was right. One of the breakers was tripped and it was corroded into the off position. He triggered the wall mounted communication system. "There's a main breaker that was tripped a long time ago, Bill. It's literally corroded into the off position. We're going to have to replace it to get that circuit to work again."

"That must be one of the older circuits, Tommy." Billy spoke to air, knowing Tommy would hear him. "According to the readings, it's been off for over two hundred years, so it shouldn't hurt to leave it off until we can inventory and find a replacement. Until then we've only got partial power, but that's enough to operate the ventilation systems, the repair mechanisms, and teleportation for transport in and out."

"The communication systems too, apparently," Eric said with an exasperated tone but he looked around in wonder at what he could now see was a well and brightly lit facility. "What is this place?"

"It is the holding and repair bay for the original Might Morphin zords, Eric." Tommy answered coming out from the power room wiping his hands on a rag.

"What the hell is it doing in Silver Hills and especially UNDER Bio-Lab?" Eric demanded and then relaxed as he realized that even powered down he could breathe and feel fresh air flowing from someplace. "Oh and how the hell do we get out of here?"

"I would surmise that Zordon and Alpha, when they arrived on Earth over 10,000 year ago, chose this place for the Zord holding and repair bay for its distance from Angel Grove. A very good tactical maneuver on their part as well as having the added advantage that if the main base is attacked, this could act as a back up position if necessary. That it is located under Bio-Lab facilities would be a coincidence. Getting in and out can be accomplished using the teleportation capabilities." Billy answered Eric with a tone that said, go away and let me finish my work – you're bugging me.

Eric sighed and turned to Tommy. "Is he always like this?"

"Ever since the day I first met him, Eric." Tommy answered smiling as he led Eric over to where the automated systems were repairing the Tyrannosaurus Zord again. "I take it this is what you thought might be your Q-Rex?"

"Yeah it looks like a prototype or an early version of my zord." Eric told him as he watched the Zord slowly start to repair holes and hanging wiring. "That is really creepy to watch, Tommy."

"Creepy to watch and creepier to be inside the zord when it's happening," Billy said walking up to them as he was wiping his own hands on a red shop rag. "I've done all I can down here, for now, Tommy. Until we can inventory the lower levels and see just what we're have to work with and what would need to be salvaged from the Power Chamber's ruins - then I can't do anything else right now."

"Good," Tommy told him as he smiled slightly. "Because I'm starving, Bill." He checked his watch and whistled. "Wow, we've been down here all day, no wonder I need to eat something."

Billy looked at his own watch and startled at the time it displayed. "We have been working for an inordinate amount of time without a break, Tommy. Sustenance is definitely in order for both of us."

"Yep," Tommy said as he grabbed his duffle and laptop as well as Billy's laptop case too. "Okay, I've got our gear and I'm ready to go when you are, Bill."

"Hey," Eric said with an indignant tone. "What am I supposed to tell my boss about this place?"

"Tell him that he will get a full report after we've done an inventory of the contents and capabilities of the Zord bay, Eric." Tommy said as he handed Billy his laptop case and placed a hand on Eric's shoulder. "We're going to get food to eat, sleep, and come back tomorrow to start the inventory. I'm going to treat this like any other dig I've ever been on. Inventory first then let everyone know what's here and when it's from."

"Ready to teleport, Tommy," Billy said as he checked over some readings before placing his other hand on Eric's left shoulder.

"All right, let's do it, Bill." Tommy said gripping Eric's shoulder and then smiling brightly as he felt the old familiar tingling that told him they were teleporting out of the chamber. He bent his knees and it didn't take long before he, Billy, and Eric materialized near the parked vehicles.

"What the hell." Eric asked, as he stumbled slightly when his weight returned suddenly. He caught himself before he could fall but he nearly fell flat on his face and only Tommy and Billy's hands griping his shoulders kept him upright for a few seconds.

"Teleportation, the Eltarian way," Billy told him with a smile. "I see that the targeting computer needs to be recalibrated. We should have appeared about six feet to our left."

"That's how we got around all the time, as Rangers, Eric." Tommy told him smiling and nodding. "Yeah, we'll have to fix that in the morning, Bill."

"Perhaps we can call in Justin, Jason, Adam, and Rocky to help with inventorying the contents, Tommy." Billy said as he looked hopefully to Eric.

"Perhaps you can tell me just what you found under my property and why that hole closed itself up with you two inside?" Mr. Collins asked as he and Wes, relieved that everyone was fine, approached from where workers were trying to reopen the hole into the cavern.

"We found our Zord holding and storage bay, Mr. Collins, sir." Billy said with respect. "Please have the workers stop digging. The automated repair systems fixed the opening in the roof of the facility and I do not want the anti-intruder measures getting tripped over that." Billy looked and smiled as Wes quickly called a stop to the frantic work. "I apologize for getting distracted and not reporting in, but we were surveying the damages as well as taking a partial inventory of working systems. The automated repair functions for the Zords and for the facility itself are fully functional. Teleportation and communications have power to function, as well as the ventilation system is still functional. Secondary repair capabilities, recharging bays, automated expansion, and other non-critical systems are still off line. Security systems are functional and armed as well. The only person that can get in and out of the facility is me, Mr. Collins. I still retain my old communicator and that allows me to access the functional systems by voice command and control. Tommy's voice patterns are still in the computers as well as the other four men I named off earlier. No one else will be able to gain access, even another ranger, until morning. These are OUR zords and they belong to the team that used them – not to the person who had the good luck to build their complex over the top of the holding bay." Billy's last words were said with a stern, commanding tone, which Tommy hadn't heard out of Billy for years.

"Easy, Bill," Tommy said as he put a hand on Billy's shoulder. "I'm sure that Mr. Collins doesn't want to exploit the Zords or the facilities down there, bro. At least he's welcome to try if he wants to lose everything down there by triggering the automated self-destruct – which would take out not only the Zord bay, but also his entire complex." Tommy wasn't kidding and his tone was one that said try and take it away from us and you'll be very, very sorry.

"I have no designs on anything held in your Zord bay, gentlemen." Mr. Collins said, shocking Wes, Eric, and his executive assistant completely. "Our scientists tell me that the exterior of this Zord bay was constructed over ten thousand years ago. What little Power Ranger history I have been able to glean from various sources all say that Zordon of Eltar arrived on Earth around that time and constructed the first base to defend Earth from the forces of Evil. There is no way I would dishonor the memory of that great man by trying exploit the first ever Earth base for Power Rangers. Besides, with outside access to the cavern now closed in, as Tommy said, we do not want to accidentally cause any further damage to the base or to this complex either."

"But, sir," Michelson, Mr. Collin's executive assistant, said with a shocked tone, "You just said you wanted the extraordinarily advanced machinery for our scientists to study and duplicate."

"You don't realize something, Michelson," Wes said with a bright smile. "We already have the only experts, on this planet, standing right before us. There aren't any others that understand as much about the technology below us as these two gentlemen right here." Wes nodded to Tommy and to Billy.

"I'm a neophyte." Tommy said with a grin. "I understand SOME of the technology because I've used it before, but Billy is the real master when it comes to dealing with everything that was in the Command Center, the Power Chamber, and the Zord holding bays. He worked closely with Zordon and Alpha all the time."

"I knew that hiring you wouldn't be a mistake, Dr. Cranston." Mr. Collins said smiling at Billy. "The new lab will have to be moved people. Get the surveyors back here tomorrow morning and we'll go with the secondary site. Dr. Cranston, Dr. Oliver, you are both welcome to explore and catalog your find, to your heart's content. I just ask that you keep Wesley, Commander Myers, Eric, and I informed of your discoveries. Also I'd ask that any discoveries that can be used for the benefit of our world be funneled through Bio-Lab or Mercer Industries – which ever the two of you are more comfortable with."

"There's not much down there that will be useful to anyone but another Power Ranger, Mr. Collins." Tommy told him truthfully. "At least what we've found so far. Jason's original Tyrannosaurus Zord is almost fully repaired, but only Jason, as the holder of the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin, could control it properly. Zords were built for battle and there isn't much use for them unless it's for demolition and that can be done more quickly by current Earth methods. We haven't discovered a medical bay or any other facility that could be turned over for research, but we will keep your offer in mind as we start inventorying the lower levels and the rest of the facility."

"Just how extensive is this facility, Dr. Oliver?" Michelson asked.

"If I remember, from the schematics stored in the Command Center's computer system, the Zord bay was eight, possibly ten levels of parts storage, with the main facility built over the top of those storage facilities. The bay itself is approximately two square miles in diameter, but the interior is only half of that. Wall thickness and repair facilities are built into the walls of the entire place." Billy told him smiling as he registered the shock on the man's face. "Zordon wanted to be sure that our Zord bay wouldn't be cramped and that any Zords stored there could also be tested without overtaxing the facilities."

"How many times have you been in this facility, Dr. Cranston?" Mr. Collins asked smiling at Michelson's shock as well.

"More times than I care to count, Mr. Collins," Billy answered with another smile. "The Zord bay was a second home for most of us during our career as Rangers and I also was in and out of the facility during the Zeo phase when I wasn't an active Power Ranger, but worked along side my friends all the same."

"Jason is the one that coined the phrase, 'tech support', to describe what Billy did, but he was also the first to use the phrase, 'Once a Ranger; Always a Ranger," too. In fact I think the first person he said that to was me." Tommy said with a fond smile at the memories those terms evoked in his mind.

"That sounds like him to me." Eric said smiling. "Let me get you guys your identification badges and parking pass to get in and out Bio-Lab when you need to, but if you teleport in – let someone know so we don't have conniption fits when you pop out of nowhere wanting something."

"Then we can all go to dinner at my home." Mr. Collins said smiling at Billy and Tommy. "I would enjoy hearing of your days as Rangers and also hearing about the Zord bay I find buried under my property too. Eric, you are invited and that is NOT a request. Wes, son, make sure he comes to dinner tonight." Mr. Collins turned and left Wes, Eric, Tommy, and Billy standing there as he turned and headed back toward the main building of the large facility with Michelson trailing behind him.

"I do not like that man, Michelson," Billy said with narrowed eyes as Mr. Collins and his assistant left. "He wants to exploit the technology from the Zord bay for his own designs and fortune."

"How did you know?" Wes asked shocked that Billy could pick that up when nothing was mentioned of doing just that while his father was talking to them.

"Because he was so shocked when your father backed down once I told him what the self-destruct would do to the bay and everything around, Wes." Tommy said as he nodded to Billy that he understood. "I got the same impression from your father, but not as much as from Michelson, and then when your father said he had no intention of exploiting or claiming the things down there for Bio-Lab; I thought Michelson was going to pass out or have a heart attack. Get that man away from your father, Wes; he is bad news all the way around."

"I told you I didn't like that man." Eric stated with a touch of indignation showing in his voice. "As long as Michelson isn't there – I'd love to come to dinner with you and your father, but I refuse to let that asshole toss digs at my background all night long. I have to put up with it everyday, but I don't have to put up with his ass when I'm not at work."

"Understood and I'll pass the word along to dad, Eric." Wes told him seriously. "Now if you will all excuse me I am going to get my father and drive him home. Eric would you pick up Tommy and Bill from the hotel, please. I'm sure Tommy could find the house all right, but this way I know you'll at least put in an appearance. Oh, and I don't like the man either, he sets my nerves on edge when I'm around him."

"Ranger senses." Billy stated as Wes turned and jogged away to catch up with his father. "He makes my hackles rise, Tommy. My wolf doesn't like him and it took everything I had not to morph and let my wolf spirit use him as a chew toy."

"My falcon wanted to peck his eyes out, Bill." Tommy retorted and then smiled at Eric's confusion. "We never lost the spirits of our inner animals, from our ninja/Ninjetti days, Eric. Sometimes, when we run across someone that is bad, evil, our spirits sort of color everything we say and do around that person. Billy's animal spirit is a wolf and mine is the falcon. Hence the terms use him as a chew toy and peck his eyes out. It's our way of saying that he triggers our Ranger senses without telling everyone around what we're talking about. Most people think that I am talking about a trained hunting falcon and that Bill would be talking about his pet dog. So they ignore our conversation."

"Ah, makes sense to me and he makes my skin crawl. The last person to do that was Ransik." Eric told them as he got them their identification badges and the parking permit for Tommy's jeep.

"That's your Ranger senses kicking into gear, Eric." Tommy said seriously as he climbed into his jeep and prepared to head back to the hotel to change for dinner at the Collins residence that night. "Listen to them because they are, usually, never wrong."

Billy climbed into the jeep and Tommy drove off with a wave to Eric as they headed for the hotel to get ready for dinner that night.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

AN2: Okay, I didn't expect this story to take this twist, but apparently my muse decided that this was the way to go with this. I hope everyone likes it. Leave a review, please, and as always – May the Power Protect you. PERN.


	5. Diner & Discoveries

From Newsprint Straight to the Heart From Newsprint Straight to the Heart

By: PernDragonrider

**Disclaimer:** Buena Vista Television, Disney, Saban, Toei, and Ranger Productions own Power Rangers; not me and I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long delay in updating this fic. A very bad case of writer's block descended upon my brain and it's just now lifting topped off with dealing with my mother's very slow recovery from a broken leg, due to metasisized breast cancer, and her battle with that cancer. Doctor appointments, house keeping, and other domestic chores have kept me away from writing anything more than a grocery list or a list of medications for a doctor – until now.

**Chapter Five – Dinner and Discoveries**

Tommy drove back to the hotel and both men quickly took care of preparing to have dinner with Mr. Collins, Wes, and Eric. It took them no more than fifteen minutes, after reaching their rooms, to shower and get presentable.

Billy had just opened the door to his room when the door next to him opened and Tommy stepped out. "Well, that settles the need to contact the front desk to determine where your room is located, Tommy." Billy said smiling rather happily.

Tommy turned and looked at Billy; he smiled too as he said, "Yep, for sure Bill."

"Now all we need is to ascertain if transportation has arrived." Billy continued, purposely using his larger words.

"I'm here." Eric said as he stepped around the corner dressed in casual dress cloths. Billy and Tommy both turned to face Eric and unknown to both of them, appraised what they saw before them. "You know if I wasn't used to getting checked out all the time by others, you two would have just ticked me off." Eric told them with a warm smile from where he stood.

"Such an excellent paradigm of robust male physique is constantly appreciative to the senses, Eric." Billy said smiling back and giving Tommy a raised eye-brow look when he slightly turned his head to look at him.

"Billy just said that you're well built and nice to look at, Eric." Tommy said automatically translating for Billy before he continued for himself, "I enjoy seeing a man that looks as good as you do, Eric, but I'd never attempt to poach."

"I too do not plunder what is not mine to touch." Billy said sternly but his tone was softened by the warm smile that still remained on his face.

"Come on guys, Wes and Mr. Collins are waiting for us." Eric said smiling again and motioning behind him toward the elevators. "Besides Phillips gets testy if we're late and he has to hold dinner."

"Will Michelson be attending tonight, Eric?" Billy asked in a tone that said he hoped not.

"Nope, Mr. Collins told him to stay home tonight and Wes told me, in confidence, that if he showed up anyway, Phillips had orders not to allow him into the house." Eric replied softly as they reached the elevators. "Like I said that man makes my skin crawl and I think he's finally starting to get to Wes too."

"Our dinner should be very relaxed then." Billy said dropping out of his large word mode and relaxing muscles that had already tightened up.

"As relaxed as eating in the Collins mansion can be." Eric said smiling as they entered the elevator and made the journey to the main lobby of the hotel easily. "I'm parked out front and I apologize for the fact that I'm driving a Guardian SUV, but I don't have transportation right now – my car is in the shop."

"It's not a problem, Eric." Tommy said and his tone conveyed that he meant it. "Things like that happen all the time. I'm sure Billy understands too."

"Considering that I currently get dropped off and picked up at the Angel Grove Bio-Lab facility by Jason, Tommy; I have no objections to riding in a Silver Guardians vehicle at all, Eric."

"What happened to your car, Bill?" Tommy asked as they stepped off the elevator.

"I cannot bring myself to drive either vehicle, Tommy; I gave one of them to Rocky and the other to Adam and Tanya. My father's car and the car Trini drove bring nothing but sad memories for me, even now." Billy replied and his whole demeanor became shrouded in sorrow and grief.

Eric looked over Billy's now bowed head at Tommy as he raised an eyebrow in query. Tommy mouthed "later" to Eric as he put his arm around Billy's shoulders. "You know they both loved you, Bill; they wouldn't want you to still be mourning for them all this time."

"I cannot help that mentioning their names makes me sad, Tommy; it was senseless and I couldn't even be there to be with them. I think that is what hurts the most is that I wasn't even aware of their passing until I was contacted by Andros. I didn't have to come back to Earth; I could have stayed on Aquitar, but someone needed to see to their estates. I was needed here and, truthfully, I was homesick at the same time."

"They knew you loved them both, in your own way, Bill." Tommy told him softly, his arm still around Billy's shoulders. "That the accidents happened at the same time was a complete coincidence. Believe me we have checked it out to be completely sure that it wasn't the first stages of another evil attack and by "we" I mean that Jason, Andros, Trey, and more helped research everything, Bill. We all grieved with you and still do. It takes time to recover from losing two people from your life. Especially when on of those was your father and the other one of your best friends."

"It was hard enough finding out that I'd lost my father, Tommy." Billy said sadly. "But I think it was worse to come back home and find out that, during the trip, Trini had died in an accident that was completely preventable. She didn't deserve to die. That she died so senselessly is what drove me into taking on her research and finishing it, for her. There is, for me, a small amount of solace in knowing that by completing her project and getting it produced is doing just what she set out to do, save lives, but that solace is not enough to erase the pain of her passing in my heart. I finished her project so that her name would never be forgotten and it won't be – now. It just hurts that she will not be remembered for being the wonderful, caring, giving, and loving person she was; but for dying just as she had the answer in her hands." Billy turned away so that the tears he could no longer hold back wouldn't be seen by Tommy or Eric.

"Trini would not want you to mourn her like this, Bill." Tommy told him as he stepped back and put his hand on Billy's back. "We all know it was senseless that she died, but you stepped in and finished her project for her. Lives are being saved and her name is on that lifesaving drug, Bill. She will NEVER, as long as her name is on that medication, be forgotten by anyone in the world. Remember that and let her go, Bill. We have to move on; those of us left behind by her death. She wouldn't want us to mourn her forever; even you – her best friend, confidant, and teammate."

"Do you know she was the only one that knew, Tommy?" Billy asked him with a hiccupping sob escaping. "She knew I loved her but couldn't love her. How do you think that makes me feel, Tommy? Knowing that the one woman in the world who loved me for who and what I am couldn't have the love returned except in the love of friendship. Trini was the ONLY one that knew." Billy looked at Tommy and the devastating pain in his eyes had Tommy, before he could think, wrapping him into his arms and holding him tightly.

"Kim is the only one that knows, for me, Bill." Tommy told him softly. "Katherine, Hayley, or any of the others have no idea. I know that Kimberly is still alive and that she still cares for me, as more than a friend; like Trini did for you, but like you I can't return that love to her either as other than a close friend."

Billy just stood there, in the hallway of a hotel with Eric Myers looking on, and broke down in Tommy's arms. His sobs were soft, but even so they still echoed faintly in the quiet hallway. Tommy held Billy and let him cry out his pain. It had been a long time coming for Billy and while this wasn't the place, or time, Tommy would prefer for their always closed off friend. Tommy was just glad it was happening, finally. All of them had been worried about Billy because while there had been tears at his father's funeral there had been nothing at Trini's. No emotion came from him as he'd delivered her eulogy and vowed to complete her work for her and to be sure that everyone knew it was her work and her discovery. He'd done that, in an astoundingly short amount of time; which is what had gotten him noticed by Bio-Lab and how he'd come to work for them.

"Is he going to be all right, Tom?" Eric asked in concern.

"Eventually," Tommy told Eric with his own pain still apparent in his voice, but his voice was soft with compassion too. "This has been such a long time coming that we were all afraid for him. He never cried at her funeral, Eric, never showed anything but anger and determination at her service. He took her research and started from scratch, funding it himself. I don't know if or when he slept, but he managed to complete Trini's research in a year and just six months later, the drug that resulted from that research was already in the FDA's approval process and it was quickly approved and in use within the next year. Trinikwancatheon is the drug's name. It's the one drug that will cure HIV and AIDS completely. Something that Trini was very adamant about researching."

"I don't know the name, but I do know that Mr. Collins was adamant that if Bio-Lab couldn't get the contract to produce that drug that he would have the person responsible for its creation on his team if it took every cent he had." Eric said softly.

"Like I said, he did everything he could to make sure that Trini's name would never be forgotten by the world, Eric. " Tommy said softly as he felt Billy's grief starting to ebb as he held him. He looked down and spoke softly near Billy's ear. "Do you feel like going onto dinner tonight, Bill?"

"I will be fine, Tommy; thank you." Billy told him taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his face. "Mr. Collins will want to speak with us about the original Zord bay and I do not wish to be alone either." Billy turned around and smiled sadly at Eric. "Tommy is right and I do apologize for having my breakdown here in public. I'm sorry if it embarrassed you at all, Commander Myers."

"It's Eric, remember, Dr. Cranston?" Eric told him with a small smile. "There is no need to apologize at all. We can't control when and where we will get overwhelmed by emotions that we ourselves have suppressed, Bill. I know you didn't mean to have a breakdown right here, but it happened and we can move on from here; when you are ready."

"Eric is right, Bill." Tommy said not removing his hand from Billy's back and just letting it rest there. "There isn't any need to apologize for what just happened. It's been too long in coming and we were worried about you, Bill. I'm just glad I could be here, for you, when it did happen."

"We should go onto our dinner." Billy said nodding that he acknowledged both Eric and Tommy's words. "I don't ever regret completing Trini's research and saving the lives it's saved; but I do regret that she was senseless killed by sub-standard equipment and security standards. Something I will never allow in my lab at all." Billy's tone was stern at the end and adamant as well.

"Before you ask, Eric," Tommy said softly as the continued toward the elevators. "Trini was killed in a laboratory accident that resulted in a fire. She was the only person in the room at the time and not only was the fire caused by faulty wiring, but that type of wiring should have never been where she was in the first place." Tommy's tone became hard as he continued. "We found out, in the Ranger investigation of her death that the place she worked was a death trap waiting to happen. Trini's research had nothing volatile in it. All she needed was a supply of blood that was either HIV positive or had full-blown AIDS in it. She was in the clean room, testing out a new batch of her research on some blood samples when the exhaust fans turned on unexpectedly. There was no breach of containment or alarm that sounded and those fans shouldn't have turned on, but an electrical short cause them to switch on. Unfortunately, that same electrical short turned the oxygen rich atmosphere of her clean room into an inferno. After Billy's lawyers, working for Trini's estate, got through with the place they were forced out of business. Something that was probably for the best after the fire marshal, the health inspector, and more got through going over that place with a fine-toothed comb. That is AFTER Andros and Carter took their findings to every city, state, and government body that regulated research facilities."

"Good for all of you." Eric said as the elevator arrived and they made the short trip down to the lobby. "I wish you'd have called us in to help with the investigation, Tommy. Maybe having the Silver Guardians there would have sped up the process a bit." He was slightly surprised when both Billy and Tommy chuckled.

"How can you speed up an investigation that's already being headed by two red rangers, Eric?" Tommy asked with a chuckle. "When Carter heard about the fire he contacted Andros and the two of them already had the investigation into her death going before we'd even had her memorial service. Can you imagine the faces of these idiots that ran this dump when Andros and Carter showed up, fully morphed, demanding answers to the accident? I can and I hope to this day that they are still shitting bricks out their asses as they sit in jail and rot."

"Okay, I don't think the Guardians could have topped that at all." Eric said with a chuckle. "What landed them in jail?"

"Apparently Carter and Andros were incensed over how the accident happened and they took their investigation deeper into the research facility, Eric." Billy said with a small smile of mixed grief and revenge playing on his face. "They discovered that not only was Trini's area faulty, but every research area in the place was a ticking time bomb. The wiring, supposedly upgraded every year, was never touched. The time the facility closed out all of its researchers to repair and do upgrades was used to copy the research of the scientists that leased space from them. They didn't care that they were putting lives in danger; they just cared about how much money they could make off the discoveries of others. Considering that they had gone behind the backs of the researchers and applied for patents on at least fifty or sixty projects that were near completion; including Trini's project. However, thankfully, I was able to show, with what Carter and Andros found out, that Trini's research was not theirs, but hers. The patent was place in the name of her estate."

"Good." Eric said smugly as he unlocked the SUV and opened the doors for Tommy and Billy. "Places like that give honest facilities like Bio-Lab a bad name."

"They give every honest and upstanding research facility in the world bad names, Eric." Tommy said as he climbed into the SUV; automatically taking the front seat with Eric as Bill climbed into the back.

"I was very impressed with the main Bio-Lab facility here in Silver Hills as well as with the facility in Angel Grove." Billy said seriously as he snapped his seatbelt into place. "You have to remember that I've had facilities that were light-years beyond what any facility on Earth could offer so me being impressed with the facilities available is not something to take lightly. Bio-Lab is the ONLY Earth based research facility that I believe I would ever want to work with."

"Then it's a very good thing that Mr. Collins hired you, Bill." Tommy said with a lightly teasing tone. "Either that or you'd still be doing your experimenting out of your garage instead of in a highly advanced research facility."

"True." Billy said smiling as he sat back for the drive to the Collins' mansion for their dinner. "However I could have always returned to Aquitar or gone to another world to conduct my research, Tommy." Billy's tone had lost the anger, pain, and was now returning Tommy's teasing easily.

"For what my opinion is worth," Eric said as he started the vehicle and set them on their way. "I think that Bio-Lab is the TOP research facility in the world, but I could be just a tad bit biased since Mr. Collins does sign my paychecks."

Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep

"What took so long?" Wes asked Eric as he opened the door, automatically, for Tommy and Billy to get out of the SUV.

"I'll explain later, Wes." Eric told him with a very slight inclination of his head toward Billy and Wes could see the signs, still on his face, of Billy's emotional upheaval just a short time before. Wes nodded back to Eric and smiled at Tommy and Billy.

"Come in and please don't feel you have to be anything but yourselves tonight guys." Wes told them still smiling as he lead the way into his family's home. "Dad will join us in the dining room in just a few minutes."

"Very nice accommodations, Wes," Tommy said with a slightly awed tone as he looked around the Collins family mansion.

"The house isn't quite as extensive as Anton Mercer's home, Dr. Oliver," Mr. Collins said coming into the foyer to greet his guests. "But it's more that adequate for Wes and I; in fact it's too big for just the two of us, but both of us don't want to change anything because there's sentimental memories all over the house. I do realize that it can be an intimidating place for some people, but to us, it's just home." He continued and smiled at Eric when he spoke of the house being intimidating.

"I'm getting used to it, slowly, Mr. Collins." Eric told him and, for once, actually returned the smile.

"Okay, its official, Eric likes the house, Dad." Wes said with a light teasing tone as he smiled at his father and Eric.

"I only have one request for you gentlemen tonight," Mr. Collin said with a smile for all of them. "We're having an informal dinner so, please, call me by my first name, Andrew."

"That might be hard for me, Mr. Coll…, Andrew." Eric told him truthfully.

"It will be difficult for me as well, Andrew," Billy told him seriously.

"We'll work it out, gentlemen." Andrew Collins told them with a friendly smile. "I'm very interested in learning about what the Zord Bay contains as well as keeping it safe from those that would exploit the technologies from there for other than humanitarian uses." He told them seriously as he led them into the dining room where Nigel Philips, the family butler, waited for them. "We're ready to have dinner now, Nigel, and please you do sit and join us too. You are part of the family, after all."

"Thank you, Andrew." Nigel replied and nodded to the other gentlemen. "Mr. Collins, Andrew, insisted that dinner tonight be served family style, gentlemen; so if you will take a seat we can begin eating."

"Dad," Wes questioned as he privately wondered why his father wasn't being his usual stuffy self. "What's gotten into you tonight?"

"I want Eric, Dr. Oliver, and Dr. Cranston to feel comfortable, Wesley." Andrew Collins told him seriously and looked to Eric, Tommy, and Billy. "I really do want to know all you can tell me about your discovery, gentlemen, but I also want you to know that I'm serious about everything down there belonging to those who utilized those zords. I would like, if your team is willing to allow it, Bio-Lab to be able to research any medical equipment or medicines; however, whatever your team decides – I will abide by. I will put that into writing and have it legally notarized so that you will have no lawsuits or difficulties utilizing whatever you need from there." He told them all but it was mostly directed at Tommy and Billy.

"Teams," Billy said with a smile and then visibly saddened. The sadness was only momentary but it was clearly visible to all of them. "There were three teams that utilized the Zords and equipment held in the subterranean chamber below your facility, Andrew."

"Billy is right, sir – Andrew, there were three teams that used the equipment down there. We'd have to contact all the team members to see how we're going to handle this discovery." Tommy told them seriously.

"We can make an initial survey of the contents and I see no reason that Bio-Lab cannot have access to any and all medical equipment that might be stored there, Tommy; do you?" Billy told him, consulting one of his team leaders automatically.

"I don't think the others would object to that, Bill, but we should contact them to make sure before we do anything more than survey what is there." Tommy told him with a thoughtful tone of voice. "What was taken to be Eric's Quantasaurus Rex, Q-Rex, is in actuality Tyrannosaurus Zord of the Might Morphin Red Ranger; the first team of Rangers on Earth, Andrew." Tommy explained as he was passed a dish of food and served himself before passing it on.

"How hard is it going to be for you and Dr. Cranston to get in touch with the members of the teams involved, Dr. Oliver?" Andrew asked as he too served himself and passed the first dish onto Wes.

Tommy looked over at Billy and got a nod of approval before he returned his attention to Andrew Collins. "First of all, Andrew," Tommy said with a smile. "If we're not to call you Mr. Collins for the evening then you can't keep calling Bill and me by our titles either. It's Tommy and Bill not Dr. Oliver and Dr. Cranston."

"Very well and that is very fair; I do apologize for my faux pas." Andrew Collins shot right back with his own warm smile and nod of his head. "How hard will it be for you and Bill to contact the members of the teams involved, Tommy?"

"Not as hard as you are contemplating it being, Andrew," Billy said with a secretive smile. "Considering that Tom and I were both members of the original team and there is, really, only one other person we absolutely must contact."

"Jason," Wes and Eric asked at the same time as they both nodded to each other too.

"Correct," Billy told them with a smile for their knowledge.

"They've met Jase, Bill," Tommy told him with a smile. "About four years ago."

"Ah, the 'Forever Red' mission," Billy said with smile. "I keep forgetting that **most** every Red Ranger went on that one; my apologies for I am not usually so bad at remembering things like that."

"Don't apologize, Bill," Wes told him seriously then his tone lightened and he smiled. "Most of us would like to forget that as well." He looked at Tommy and sighed, "I was proud to be a member of that group; still am, but you have to admit that we were the most disorganized bunch of chiefs with no indians around, Tommy."

"I'll drink to that," Tommy told him with a smile and raised his glass to Wes before taking a drink of his iced tea. "I will **never** put together another mission with only Red Rangers no matter what advice I'm given by anyone else, Wes. You have my solemn vow on that point. I thought Jason was going to murder Cole before the end of the day and that TJ was going to get punched out by Andros for being an ass."

"I think I've missed something," Andrew Collins said with a smile for them all. "Someone care to tell me exactly what you're discussing and when this happened?"

"Ten of the, at that time, existing Red Rangers teamed up to stop renegade generals – from the Machine Empire – from resurrecting Serpenterra, the super-zord created by Lord Zedd, who was the villain attacking Angel Grove during the second team of Might Morphin rangers, Andrew." Billy told him seriously. "This Zord was so powerful that even with the two utility and augmenting zords, Titanus and Tor, it couldn't be scratched. It couldn't be defeated and the only reason Earth is still free is because the Zord ran out of fuel. The team managed to send the Zord back to the moon, where Zedd, or someone, buried it near the Sea of Tranquility. Once Andros, the red ranger of the Astro, or space, Rangers discovered what was going on; he contacted Tommy on the advice of TJ Johnson, his blue Ranger. TJ, before becoming the Blue Astro Ranger was the second red ranger of the Turbo team." Billy stopped to take a drink of his own iced tea and Tommy picked up the story.

"TJ told Andros that he didn't know anything about the Machine Empire or the Zord they were trying to free from its burial place, but that I might know what was going on." Tommy continued where Billy had left off. "The two of them tracked me down and I told them about the battle with Serpenterra we'd had. It was actually Andros that put the mission together, contacting all the others, not me." Tommy said with a sigh. "Had I put the mission together there would have been every available Ranger on the moon that day. Not because of how tough the Machine Empire generals and Cogs are to take down, but because Serpenterra was just that damned nasty of a monster Zord to go up against. We all got lucky that day, very lucky, because Cole managed to turn Serpenterra's destruction beam back on to itself. We wouldn't be here having dinner together if Lady Luck wasn't on our side that day."

"Just how many Ranger teams have there been?" Andrew Collins asked as he was starting to understand that the team that had been in Silver Hills wasn't a fluke or just restricted to their city.

"There have been fourteen teams of Power Rangers on Earth, beginning in 1993, Andrew." Billy told him seriously. "The attacks on Earth started in 1993 with a NASA mission to Mars that released Rita Repulsa, an evil space witch, from her intergalactic 'dumpster' prison. Her attacks, centered on the city of Angel Grove, started that day and the legacy of Power Ranger on Earth has continued from that time forward."

"The first team, the Mighty Morphin Ranger, continued until the fourth year when they became the Zeo Rangers. Those Zeo Rangers went onto to become the first Turbo Rangers and then passed their powers onto the second group of Turbo Rangers that went into space and became the Astro Rangers." Tommy told them, condensing the history and not mentioning any names. "The Astro Rangers defeated their foe, but only a very high loss to those of us that served before them. Zordon of Eltar, mentor to the Rangers of Earth for four and half years was lost. His loss destroyed or returned to humanity every evil within three galaxies as well as disrupted the Morphin Grid for about a month. Mirinoi, being secluded in a pocket dimension, wasn't purged and that is how the Lost Galaxy Rangers came into being with the attacks on Terra Venture by Scorpius and his daughter Trakeena. Lightspeed Rescue was the next team of Rangers to exist they were out of Mariner Bay. Time Force, here in Silver Hills followed by Wild Force in Turtle Cove. Ninja Storm out of Blue Bay Harbor was after the Wild Force team; Dino Thunder was the next team, and they were in Reefside. There is, for an unknown reason, a full year in which, as far as we know, there wasn't an active team of Rangers on Earth nor was there an earthling involved in an active team. The last active team was Mystic Force that protected Briarwood."

"The only team of Power Rangers that have protected Earth, that Tommy didn't mention was the team the people of Angel Grove called the Alien Rangers who were from Aquitar." Billy told them when Tommy stopped to take a drink of his tea. "They came to assist the third incarnation of the Might Morphin team when that team was turned into children and couldn't access their powers. They were only active for about a month before the Zeo Rangers came into being."

"That is a very condensed version of Power Ranger history for you," Tommy told them with a smile and a nod to Billy for mentioning the Aquitain Rangers for him. "So when the group of Red Rangers went to the moon, there were eleven existing Red Rangers. There were ten of the on the moon that day."

"Jason, Tommy, Aurico of Aquitar, TJ, Andros, Leo, Carter, Wes, Eric, and Cole were the ten rangers that were able to go on that mission. The only missing Red Ranger was Rocky." Billy told mostly Andrew and Nigel, but reminded Wes, Eric, and Tommy too. He turned to Tommy and asked, with a good deal of curiosity, "Did you ever find out why Rocky couldn't make it that day?"

"Jase found out the next day, Bill." Tommy told him with a smile. "Rocky couldn't be there because he was at Stone Canyon Memorial Hospital with his wife. Her water broke at six that morning and their first child, a girl by the way, was born at seven that evening."

"That is the only reason we didn't all go and kick his butt for not being there," Wes said with joking tone but there was a seriousness underneath that told Billy, Andrew, and Nigel that it would have actually happened had there not been a very good reason for Rocky's absence that day.

"So there have been Power Rangers on Earth since 1993." Andrew stated with a startled tone. "I am very amazed that until the attacks here in Silver Hills that we'd never heard anything about these other teams."

"There's a good reason for that, Andrew," Tommy told him with a smile. "We've found, over the years, that except for the town that's being attacked and the cities immediately surrounding that area, the national media tend to put the monster attacks and everything down to some kind of mass hysteria or media hype for attention."

"What we've just recently uncovered is that we've had unknown government help in keeping the attacks out of the national media," Billy told them all with a very serious tone. "The governments do not want or need any word of these, mostly, extraterrestrial attacks to get out into the general population of Earth."

"We just found that out because one of the first Rangers of Earth is now a member of the Senate." Tommy stated with a little, lot, of pride in his voice. "He discovered that most of the governments of the world are aware of the attacks and how serious it could be, but the media has been discouraged, from the highest levels of government around the world from reporting on these attacks, unless the attacks are happening in the area – and then they're allowed to report on them, but the national media services do not carry those reports onto the rest of the country or world."

"I am not surprised at all to learn that," Andrew Collins stated. "The hysteria and world panic would overwhelm all of the public safety measures in every village, town, city, and country on Earth. There would be widespread looting, riots, and worse all over the world."

"That is why our government, along with every governing body on Earth have agreed to keep the reports of the attacks out of the reach of the general public and they're chalked up to mass hysteria, media hoaxes, drug induced hallucinations, and sundry other excuses to keep the peace." Billy told them.

"So the government knows about the Power Rangers, but do they know who the Rangers are, or were?" Eric asked with some concern as the rest of their team had come from the future.

"They have an idea, but those ex-rangers they approach will not confirm their suspicions, Eric." Tommy told him with a very bland smile, but his tone of voice was one of pure impishness. "There are only two confirmed teams of Power Rangers, as far as the U.S. government is concerned. That is the Astro Rangers and the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers."

"Why wouldn't any of you confirm it if asked out right?" Phillips asked with a good deal of confusion in his voice.

"Because there could be legalities and lawsuits brought against the teams for property damages and personal injury, Nigel." Andrew answered before Tommy or Billy could say anything.

"Dad's right, Nige," Wes said with a serious tone. "There was so much talk, after everything was done with here in Silver Hills, about suing the Rangers for damages done during the attacks that I really didn't want Dad advertising that Eric and I were leading the Silver Guardians, but those grumblings died down as the town rebuilt and I don't think a single lawsuit was filed at all."

"There have been a few attempts, back in Angel Grove, to sue the Power Rangers for damages done, but the courts system there and in most towns that have 'hosted' active ranger teams, the suits are dismissed or never even make it past the first hearing. Especially when they do not have a name other than color and team name to put into the legal documents." Billy added with a slightly sad sigh.

"I just don't understand why the people of these cities can't be grateful that there are those willing to put their own lives in danger to protect innocent lives and let it be at that." Eric said with a slightly grumbling tone of voice.

"Because everyone seems to believe that there is easy money to be made by pressing lawsuits against all and sundry for very frivolous things," Billy stated with a bit of anger in his voice. "The needed legal proceedings take so much longer to get done because of all the frivolous lawsuits for imagined damages. Who, in their right mind, does not know that coffee is served at a sufficient temperature to burn skin if the container is not handled properly?"

"The idiot that set it into their lap instead of into a cup holder and then drove off down the road dumping the cup in the process when they turned out of the driveway and back into the street," Eric added before Billy could continue. "I still think that seeing all these warnings all over everything that common sense tells you you shouldn't do are stupid and waste money."

"As do I," Andrew added and then changed the subject back to Ranger things. "You were saying that you both believe the chamber we discovered is what you called your Zord bay?" He asked to get the conversation back on track.

"I know that the chamber is the Zord Bay." Billy told him acknowledging the subject change with a nod. "I was able to access and download some files, from the self-contained computer system in the bay. It has been dormant for a long time and there are repairs to the bay itself that we'll need to do before it's fully functional again, but it is the chamber Zordon had constructed to house the Dino Zords that the Mighty Morphin Rangers used to defend Angel Grove with, Andrew. I'm positive it can be nothing else but 'our' zord bay."

"Then there isn't any reason that any Bio-Lab or Silver Guardian employee should need access to the area." Andrew stated emphatically. "I will make an announcement first thing in the morning to everyone and I expect that Wes and Eric have already alerted the Silver Guardians that the area is off limits to those without clearance from either Tommy or Bill."

"That shouldn't be a problem, Dad," Wes said with a smile and a short nod to his father. "The hole that got punched into the bay has self-healed and we don't have an entrance to guard. You've moved the construction machinery to the back-up site for the new labs we're building, so no one should have a reason for even being in that area of the property at all."

"Unless it's that slimy scum ball, Michelson," Eric said with a definite tone of disgust and dislike showing. "I know that he is your executive assistant, Mr. Col – Andrew, but I do not like him at all. He triggers all the wrong instincts in all of my squad; even the newest cadet doesn't like him. He's condescending, arrogant, treats everyone as if they're his personal slave, as well as treating everyone as if he's better than anyone else in the company."

"Mr. Michelson's exceedingly obvious acquisitiveness for the contents of the Zord Bay also has me questioning why he would be pushing so firmly for Bio-Lab to declare the contents of something they didn't know to be real until just a few days ago." Billy stated with a wolfish growl of warning coming into his voice as he spoke.

"I have to admit that Michelson triggers every instinct, both Ranger and non-Ranger related, that I have that tells me he is very bad news." Tommy added with a stern tone as he put a hand on Billy's shoulder, giving a squeeze, to acknowledge the warning Billy's Ninjetti spirit was sending. "Falcon doesn't like him either, Bill."

"He's been fine around me, until just this afternoon when I backed Bill and Tommy request, demand, for the bay to be off limits to everyone but Tom and Bill," Wes added with a tone that said he was listening to their words and that he would be acting on them as soon as he could.

"I have also discovered Mr. Michelson in parts of the house where he should not be," Nigel Philips added with a concerned tone. "He claimed he'd gotten lost when I found him in Master Wes's wing. I let the matter drop, but escorted him out of the wing and made sure the doors were locked once more. I have also found him attempting to gain entry to your private suite as well, Andrew, and this is at times that you are in your office here on the main floor and he knows good and well that you are there because he has entered the home with you and you've both gone directly to your office."

"Background check," Andrew stated and asked as he looked to Wes and Eric.

"Two hours, Dad," Wes answered the unasked question before Eric could.

"Do it," Andrew told his son and wasn't surprised when Eric pulled a small Silver Guardians communications headset from his pants pocket and donned it.

"Commander Myers to base," Eric said where they could all hear it, but they couldn't hear the reply that Eric must have received after a few seconds when he continued speaking. "Background check, deep one, on Bio-Lab employee; last name, Michelson, first name, George, classification, executive assistant to Mr. Andrew Collins, Bio-Lab owner." Eric stated with a commanding tone to the person on the other end of the circuit. "Give me an estimate on delivery time; good you can reach me at Commander Collins's home number when you have a preliminary report." Eric finished up and indicated he was done as he removed the small earpiece and attached microphone from his ear and returned it to his pants pocket. "They will have a general report back in about an hour and a more in depth report by morning, Mr. Collins. I'll make sure that a copy of what they find is also sent directly to your private computer, bypassing Michelson's access."

"That's fine, Eric, but stop with the Mr. Collins for heaven's sake; you're sleeping with my son so either call me Dad or Andrew." Andrew Collins said with tone that was exasperated but accepting at the same time. He looked at the surprised faces of Nigel, Wes, and Eric as well as the small smiles on the faces of Tommy and Billy. "What, you seem to think that I am oblivious as to what goes on in my own house?" He asked them with a smile on his face. "Don't either of you get onto Nigel for saying anything because he hasn't said a word to me about your relationship. I am not blind and I don't have a problem with it either. You keep it very professional at work, more professional than most of the couples we employ, and I couldn't ask for better men to lead the Silver Guardians. I also couldn't ask for Wes to have found someone that I could approve of more for a partner than you, Eric Myers. You are a very good man, a good friend to me as well as my son, and you are one of the best men it has been my pleasure to run across in the professional world too. I've know that Wesley was more inclined to men than to women since he was twelve years old."

"You can also stop sneaking into Wes's wing of the house and trampling my prized roses, Eric." Nigel added and chuckled at the shocked look on both Wes and Eric's faces. "What you both think I wouldn't notice the broken stems and crushed blossoms?"

"I wasn't aware that they were prize winning roses or I would have avoided them completely," Eric said taking everything with as much aplomb as he could muster and still be sincere. "Really, Nigel; I wouldn't deliberately do that to you."

"I do believe you, Master Eric," Nigel replied giving Eric the same status, in his mind, as Wes had in the household. "I would say, from the damages, that most of it is done by Master Wes as he is sneaking out to rendezvous with you someplace."

"Probably, but can you put a path through the roses so that we don't have to go through them to get to my French doors, Nigel?" Wes asked very sincerely. "Eric or I want to have to wake the whole house to let him in when stops in after a late shift at work."

"I'll will check with the gardener and see if we can't accommodate that request, Master Wes." Nigel told him with a fond smile of friendship for both men. "I also appreciate that you wish to let the household sleep; thank you."

Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep

A/N: I'm ending the chapter here, before it get too long for everyone to enjoy. I'm hoping, time allowing, that I can have the next chapter up in a week or two. Again, I apologize for the long delay in updating this and my other unfinished stories at the site, but caring for my mother has taken most of my writing time for the last year and a half. She's getting better, one day at the time, so I can take some time to reacquaint myself with these tales and start updating them on a, semi, regular basis (I hope).

As always please leave a review and let me know what you think of this addition to this tale. May the Power protect you! Pern.


	6. Discoveries and Dilemmas

**From Newsprint Straight to the Heart**

**By: PernDragonrider**

**Disclaimer:** Buena Vista Television, Disney, Saban, Toei, and Ranger Productions own Power Rangers; not me and I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long delay in updating this fic. Long case of writer's block coupled with dealing with a myriad of real life problems. My mother's recent death has kept me in bad straits and while still dealing with her death and all of the monetary complications; I am also seriously looking for work (which isn't panning out) and stressing me out even more. I do apologize for the long, long delay in getting this next chapter of this tale out. I'd also want to thank for all the help and for doing the beta work on this chapter for me. As always, please read and review to let me know what you think; thanks – Pern. Now onto the tale...

**Chapter Six – Discoveries and Dilemmas**

The rest of the dinner went smoothly with the six men talking over matters that weren't related to the recent discovery of the Might Morphin Power Rangers old Zord Bay or speculating on what might or might not come up in the very deep background check that Eric was having done on Mr. Collins' executive assistant, George Michelson. They all finished the main course of the meal, and Nigel was preparing to collect the dishes along with the leftovers to return them to the kitchen, when Eric's radio chirped quietly. Eric and Wes got up from the table and moved to where they could both take the call privately.

They both returned to the table with dark looks marring their faces. Wes said to his father, "My advice: fire him, Dad."

"What have you discovered?" Andrew Collins asked, mentally reviewing what projects going on at Bio-Lab that his executive assistant was privy to more than just the general details of.

"Well the first thing the background check found was that the guy likes to live way above his means, Andrew," Eric said seriously, but managed to remember to address his boss by his first name instead of Mr. Collins. "There're some more facts that aren't a glaring red flag, but for me they're raising those red flags because I personally ran the report on him before the Human Resources Department hired him. I had the Guardian that ran today's report compare that report to that first one before Michelson was hired. The differences are raising some serious red flags for me, but the more comprehensive report will be ready in about three hours. Right now I'm just wondering how the man affords the payment on the luxury condo, the expensive sports car, and more on his salary. He's getting money from somewhere, but until his financial records are checked as part of the deep background check; I can only speculate where the extra income is coming from at this time. However everything in me says he's selling Bio-Lab secrets to get what he wants. Just what secrets, well that I'm not sure about either." Eric sighed as he sat back down at the table with Wes.

"Well then it is a good thing I turned all of the security measures back on before we left the Zord bay," Billy said with a deep sigh of partial relief coming out at the end. "The only people that could get into the bay right now are those that have a communicator I personally built and there are only 12 of them in existence; however, with the limited teleportation capabilities in the Zord bay, until we can restore full power once again, it is unlikely that any of the others will accidentally find themselves inside. So access is severely restricted to just Tommy, myself, and any we take with us when we teleport into the bay."

"Good, I am very glad for that," Wes, Eric, Andrew Collins, and Tommy all said at nearly the same time. Tommy smiled and patted Billy on the shoulder lightly. "Thanks for resetting the security measures; I just hope they don't stuff me into stasis since I've recently held another power, Bro."

"Most of the bay's security measures are vocal and keyed commands, Tommy; not power based. However I did alter, just slightly, those that are power based to recognize your unique power signature as well as Jason's updated signature from his time as the Gold Ranger."

"How did ..?" Tommy started only to stop and smile. "Never mind, my swiss cheese memory just kicked in, Bill. I forgot that you went to Aquitar just before Jason returned Trey's Gold Ranger Powers."

"It is all right, Tommy," Billy said with a slightly indulgent smile on his face. "I am just curious as to how with your forgetfulness that you managed to obtain not only a PhD in Paleontology but a minor in general science as well." Billy teased lightly and smiled softly as Tommy blushed a bit.

"Wouldn't have if Hayley and Jase hadn't helped me remember things, Bro." Tommy told him and chuckled. "That's how I found out that Hayley really was a rocket scientist. She came into our apartment one day to find Jason and me pouring over some old Zord schematics I managed to salvage from the ruins. She walked over and I really do not remember what we were trying to figure out, but she just opened her mouth and told us how to solve the problem we were having. Both of us just kind of slowly got everyone's permission to tell her the truth. She's also the one that helped me with the video diary of our Ranger history that I made in case something happened to me, and the DinoThunder rangers needed to get in touch with anyone."

"He even contacted Eric and I to make sure we agreed to let Time Force's tale be told." Wes said with a nod to Tommy.

"I don't wish to get off subject, but Nigel is back with our dessert and I'm going to suggest that we can enjoy that with either a liquor, some wine, or spirits in my office here. I want to check and see which projects that Michelson has access to right now and also do some checking to make sure that Bio-Labs' research hasn't been compromised or undermined." Andrew Collins said as Nigel was bringing in the crystal glasses that were layered with alternating levels of creamy tapioca pudding and strawberries.

"I would suggest a light dry white wine or a rich port to go with my Tapioca Royale," Nigel said as he deftly turned from the table with the tray and started toward the doors that would lead to Andrew Collins' home office.

"I believe I will just have coffee with my dessert, please." Billy requested softly. "Even if I am not driving back to the hotel tonight, Tom and I need an early start to begin exploring and cataloging what remains in the Zord Bay."

"I have a pot of coffee brewing just now, Bill." Nigel said with a smile. "I will bring a tray in as soon as it has finished."

"I have one question," Andrew Collins said as they all settled into the leather sofas in his office. "I have noticed that neither Wes nor Eric drinks a lot of alcoholic beverages anymore; is there something in the powers of a Ranger that make you that way?"

"It's not that we don't drink alcohol, we do," Tommy told him as the others sighed. "However I do know that most of those that have accepted the mantle of Power Ranger do not indulge in a lot of alcohol when their powers are active. On the other hand it seems easier for us to drink after we've just lost an active power, and then it seems to taper back off to the levels we are comfortable with imbibing when it comes to alcohol."

"I do drink alcohol, on occasion, however today is not one of those days that I wish to imbibe any spirits." Billy told Andrew with a slight smile and a nod. "Between the hurried rush to get here and the exploration Tommy and I did today, I know I am tired enough to sleep and I also know that both Tom and I want to get an early start tomorrow on cataloging what the contents of the Zord Bay are – so I will abstain from having a 'tipple', as my father called it – and will save the indulgence for when we can give a full report."

"And I still have to drive Tom and Bill back to the hotel before I head home," Eric stated as he accepted a cup of coffee from Nigel.

"Healthy habits die hard, Dad," Wes said with a slight smile. "Need a clear head for dealing with Guardian matters when I report to work in the morning. Besides, I've found that since I stopped running away and accepted Eric into my life that I don't need to drink beer, whiskey, bourbon, or wine to chase away the loneliness."

"I learned, from Jason actually, that drinking to chase away the loneliness doesn't work." Tommy said as he nodded to Bill and toasted him with his own cup of coffee as soon as he'd accepted it from Nigel. "One other ... well I guess you could say 'perk' of the powers is that some of us can – if we want – shake off the effects of over indulgence relatively easily."

"Also doesn't help that hangovers aren't as bad even if we do over indulge." Wes chuckled and then without being asked went to the liquor cabinet and poured his father his customary two fingers of his favorite scotch, over ice, and took it to the man. "Here, Dad, don't think you don't have to have your favorite after dinner drink just because the rest of us have opted not to."

"Thank you, Wes," Andrew Collins said with a smile and smiled once more as Nigel got his own drink and joined them on the couches in the room.

"So Master Eric, will you and Master Wes be staying here tonight or will you be going someplace else?" Nigel asked with an even tone but a teasing gleam shining in his eyes.

"I think that is all up to Wes, Nigel," Eric said giving him a nod and a slight smile. "I still have to drive Tommy and Bill back to their hotel and if those on duty get the deep background check on Michelson done before that, I'll be going by Bio-Labs to pick up a hard copy for Andrew."

"Your room is made up as always, Master Wes, just in case," Nigel said, looking to both former Rangers once significantly.

"Thank you Nigel," Wes told him and nodded to Eric as he said, "Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to ride with you to take Tom and Bill back to their hotel for the night. Besides, I'd like to convince them to accept some help from the Guardians for their cataloging chores."

"Maybe after we take initial stock of what we have, Wes." Tommy said with his leader tones coming into play unconsciously. "Bill and I for just now, but I'm sure once we have our initial assessment done that we'll be glad to let you come play tourist."

"It could be inherently dangerous for you, Wes." Billy said his own worry coming into play. "There are levels of the facility that have minimal power. Until we can find some replacement parts or I direct the automatic repair functions to ignore the Zords and concentrate strictly on facility repair; then it is best if there are fewer people there to endanger. Besides, even if I haven't had to do it in many years, I can still morph as can Tommy. We have our communicators and we will be glad to set up a call schedule with the Guardians for regular check-ins, but other than that more bodies down there will just exponentially increase the chance of something, or someone, accidentally being injured or destroyed."

"I'm not even going to call Jason down to come and help until we can get some of the larger pieces moved out of the way." Tommy said before anyone could question their choices. "All of us used to help Alpha Five, and I believe I can get Adam to send me Alpha 6 to help us ... but right now I'd prefer it to remain just Bill and I. There could security measures or other things that will be dangerous – even to those of us that worked to help the systems repair our Zords after a battle."

"I wouldn't mind being able to get a good look at Jason's Zord, Tom." Eric said as he nodded to Wes and smiled softly, though his tone was all business as he continued. "I think some kind of check-in schedule would be a good thing. It will allow us to know that you are both still all right, but I'm going to have to insist that you devise someway for Wes or I to come in and get you if something happens."

"That was also going to be a suggestion I made," Billy said seriously even as Tommy glared. Everyone saw that he relented when Billy put his hand onto Tommy's shoulder and squeezed softly. "We both would insist on some kind of safety measures, Tommy. The teleportation and communications signals might not reach Jason back in Angel Grove if we get into trouble. I can give Wes and Eric - morphed only, for now - emergency access to the Bay with a few simple commands programmed into the security system; a matter of two minutes of work. Until we can re-establish full power to all systems in the Bay – if we can – we will need a closer emergency contact than hoping a signal reaches Jason's communicator in Angel Grove."

Nigel and Andrew smiled as they clearly saw not only how much both men cared for each other, but also how much they respected each other at the same time. Eric gave Wes a quick smile as he whispered for Wes' ears only, "I would imagine we're seeing the beginnings of another couple, Wes. I couldn't really see Jason and Tom as a couple, but I can see these two."

Tommy sighed and nodded to Billy as he said, "Since I said I was going to treat this like an archeological site after we were in the Zord Bay today, Bill; I agree that we need some kind of emergency plan in place. A check-in schedule would be the best, and I agree that until the Bay is again fully powered that with Wes and Eric being so close it would be irresponsible for me to not take advantage of that for emergencies." Tommy turned to them both and said, "I apologize for my initial anger at you both. I was wrong and Bill is right, we might need help and without everything at full power it could be disastrous for us to rely on getting a message to Jason in Angel Grove.

"However, giving you emergency access doesn't mean you can teleport in and out at anytime, Wes." Tommy teased lightly. "For now we can take a deeper inventory of what needs to be done to bring the bay fully back online, then I'll call Jason and have him come up here to see the place. I'd also rather have the paw from Trini's Saber-tooth Tiger Zord out of sight before we bring him up here."

"Trini Kwan was a Power Ranger?" Andrew Collins asked with some wonder in his voice. "Wait, don't answer that, because my next request would be 'outing' more than just her contribution to our world." He said before either Tommy or Billy could answer him.

"She was," Billy said ignoring Andrew's request for him not to be told. "I would love nothing more than to take the large remains of her first Zord and display it for all to see and know; however, I believe that Trini would prefer to be known for the lifesaving drug she worked so hard to develop instead of being know for having been a Power Ranger."

"Didn't I see someplace, after her death, that she had been engaged at the time of her death?" Nigel asked softly, surprising his long time boss and friend.

"She and Jason were to be married two days after her death," Billy said with a great deal of sorrow and regret in his voice. "I could take over Trini's work, finish it for her, and make sure her name would always be remembered; however I believe that Jason still grieves for her and that - as much as he says he's not comparing any of his dates to her – he still is, and they will always fall short. She was an amazing woman, my friend Trini, yet I worry for my 'big brother' Jason because they were very much in love."

"Jason does and doesn't hold his dates up to Trini, Bill." Tommy said with a knowing tone. "We can all tell when he does and usually one of us will point it out to him, but I think in his own way that Jason is still grieving for her loss. He'll find another to open his heart to; we just have to let him do it in his own time."

Billy nodded but his next words shocked the others in the room, except for Tommy, "Well, knowing that Trini's spirit passed into the grid is a great comfort for me and all of us, but knowing Trini as well as I do, if Jason doesn't find someone for him soon then she will discover the means to return – however she must – and give him a good tongue lashing, Tommy. She's been gone three years now, and while I do know everyone grieves in their own way and time, it is time for Jason to have a love life again."

Tommy's words to Billy next also shocked the others in the room. "Considering how close Trini and Kimberly were, Bill; it wouldn't surprise me if Trini 'possessed' Kim – with her full consent – and the two of them thrashed him and then gave him a long-overdue chewing out. Shit, I should just call Kimberly and plant the seed in her mind that Jason needs her. I know that Jason wouldn't compare the two of them to each other. That might be what he needs the most, is to get involved with another Ranger female instead of all the non-Ranger ladies he's been attempting to date recently."

"Um, I hate to interrupt a private discussion here, Tommy," Wes said as he slid on his couch so he could learn forward and get their attention. "I think I have a few questions about what you've just said; not relating so much to Jason, but to what you've said about the Morphin Grid."

"Are you referring to what I said about knowing that Trini's spirit passed into the Grid, Wes?" Billy asked him as he gave Wes his full attention.

"That and how someone could come back from there?" Eric said as he too sat forward to give both Billy and Tommy his full attention.

"I know her spirit, the essence that makes her Trini – her soul I supposed you would call it – passed into the grid when she died because I have, in a way, conversed with her." Billy said as he nodded to them both and continued. "Before I returned from Aquitar, I spoke with several other Rangers and Ranger Mentors of many different worlds. When a Power Ranger dies, from natural or unnatural causes, their spirits can pass into an alternate afterlife and exist within the Morphin Grid. I cannot explain how it happens or how the essence makes that kind of choice; however I can speculate that perhaps the Morphin Grid itself makes that determination somehow."

"So when Wes dies he could go to heaven or into the Morphin Grid?" Mr. Collins asked with a tone that said he was worried and slightly upset at getting this bit of information about the mysterious Morphin Grid.

"Succinctly, yes." Billy answered truthfully. "However, to offer what comfort I can to ease your worries about the afterlife, Andrew; from what information I could glean from other Rangers and Mentors, that the Grid doesn't preclude the spirits, essences, souls of those drawn into it from passing into heaven or hell, as we call the next phase of our existence. The Grid merely delays that passing in some way that allows those spirits to continue, for as long as they wish, to contribute their knowledge of battle tactics, abilities, and Zord control to the team, or teams, that are accessing the Grid to Morph into Power Rangers. There are few spirits that remain long, in the Grid, before continuing their journey into the rest of the afterlife; however there are some strong spirits – like our mentor, Zordon of Eltar - that can remain indefinitely in the grid and pass along their wisdom, council, and knowledge to future generations of power holders as they battle their foes. There is some speculation among the Rangers as well as the mentors I spoke with that there are beings out somewhere in the multiple universes that exists and tap into the Morphin Grid that are referred to as a 'Morphin Master' or 'Grid Master'. These unique individuals can pass into the Grid and remain for as long as they feel they are needed. The speculation is that there are also living Masters of the Grid, who watch over all of those that access the power of the Grid to battle for their worlds and choose which souls pass through the grid to impart their knowledge to others before continuing their journey to their next existence. How true or false all of these speculations are cannot be determined, but I have personally spoken with Trini's essence – while morphed – and the concerns I voiced to Tommy about Jason are her concerns as well, relayed to me then. Before you ask, it is not really a conversation as we are having here, vocally, but more of a thought being answered in your mind by a familiar or friendly voice. Having been a Power Ranger myself, I hesitate to call it telepathic hallucination, or self-deception when I say I absolutely know it was Trini answering my thoughts. It wasn't my mind playing tricks on me, but it was truly her voice and thoughts I heard." Billy stopped speaking to take a drink of coffee and Tommy picked up for him to give some more insight to those with them.

"I know it sounds very far-fetched, but Wes, Eric," he said and looked at each of them. "Think about the first time you morphed, the first battle you fought as a Power Ranger, and the first time you called upon your Zords. The conversation Billy is referring to is something along the lines of how you could know, without a doubt, how to control your Zord when you'd never done it before. In some cases, there have been instances of a Ranger morphing for the first time that gains not only the knowledge of how to control his Zord, but also instantaneous knowledge of how to fight the minions or monster he morphed to battle. Most Rangers aren't trained in how to control their Zords, how to fight, or even what battle tactics to use; however once the power infuses them and they make that first morph; the knowledge is there and they can access all aspects of the power they now have as a Power Ranger."

"Intriguing," Andrew Collins said as both Wes and Eric were nodding at Tommy's words. "So do you hear the instructions? Or is it just like downloading a file into a computer that's shoved into your brain? I am asking because that is an aspect of holding the powers of a Ranger – that the knowledge of how it's done could be gained – that would have multiple real world applications for helping those with mental deficiencies, stroke patients, and more."

"It's a little of both, Andrew." Billy told him truthfully. "It is not that you 'hear' the instructions in the normal way, as you are hearing me speak now, but it can be compared with downloading a file – or more closely – an operating system into a computer. However this operating system is like a ghost system as it doesn't overwrite the existing information contained on the original system but augments that original system with needed information for the Ranger to do his, or her, job."

"I compare it to hypnotic suggestions," Tommy said as he nodded at Billy's words. "Hypnotic suggestions that are needed and accessed without conscious thought. A Ranger jumping into a Zord for a battle, for the first time, has no idea how ANYTHING in that Zord works – he has no idea how to even summon the Zord until the time it's needed. The Grid somehow manages to give the wielder of the powers the instantaneous knowledge needed to control the power, weapons specific to the power they've received, operate the Zord properly in single combat, or how to combine the Zords for a Megazord and how to do their part in the combination for battle. It's hard to describe exactly how it happens, because you don't really think about it as you've got so much information to process, while everything is happening during the battle distracts your attention from thinking too much on just HOW you know all of this when you've never done it before. Even changing powers, as I've done a few times, is different because with each set of powers some things are the same and some are different. I didn't need, as the Black DinoThunder Ranger, to know how to operate the Bracchiozord Hayley engineered for the black Ranger. I mean the controls were based off of earlier designs that I knew, but she was the one that designed and engineered how each control worked and what it did. I didn't have very much intimate knowledge of all of that, as she was working on those as I was off on digs around the world working for my doctorate degree."

"Thinking about it even now that I've been a Ranger for a while, it's like the information is not readily accessible to your mind when you're not morphed and it's not needed," Eric said thoughtfully. "I know how to work all of the controls in my Q-Rex and could probably describe how to work it well enough for you to be able to semi-control it without me there, but you wouldn't be able to do more than get it to walk, stop, turn, or fire the weapons ... and the amount of time it would take me to describe that to you could mean the battle would be lost before it even began."

"Yeah, that's what I mean," Tommy said with a nod. "I've kept a journal - we all did, at first – on how the controls of our Zords were operated, what it felt like to morph, the monsters we fought, and all the rest, but after a couple of months we stopped doing that because it wasn't feasible to expect that the next person that might find themselves in our places to read and learn all of what they needed before jumping into battle. Usually the forces you're fighting against don't give you that luxury."

"Very well said," Andrew Collins said and nodded as he sighed slightly. "Well it was a thought that might, one day, become a reality; however, until our science knows more about the brain and how it all works, then that type of near-instantaneous teaching will just have to wait before we can even start developing it."

"Well, the humanoid brain does work off of bio-electrical signals for everything," Billy said with a thoughtful tone. "The Grid is electrical and mechanical in nature – just where its located no one really knows. Most humanoids are carbon based lifeforms and despite the specific evolutionary process of their home worlds, their brains process and store information much like ours here on Earth do. There were experiments in 'sleep learning or teaching' as far back as a century ago. Hypnotism works on implanted, subconscious, suggestion; however you cannot get someone to go against their beliefs or nature with those suggestions. For instance you couldn't hypnotize someone and have them kill another person unless that person who was hypnotized had that type of personality – that could kill in cold blood without a second thought. However what information is downloaded into a Power Ranger's brain the first time they Morph for a battle is much more than simple implanted hypnotic suggestions can convey at one time – especially during the stress of a battle situation. There has to be some kind of intelligence or intuition in the very construction of the Morphin Grid itself or else that intelligence, intuition, comes from another source; the 'spirits' of the Grid – those that have passed before somehow giving their successor the information and ability to fulfill the duties of a Power Ranger."

"Food for thought," Andrew Collins said as he nodded to Billy. "I believe that until the physical location of the Morphin Grid is found that this will always be speculation and conjecture because when it was first constructed there wouldn't have been any 'spirits' for the first Power Rangers to give them the guidance and information they needed. Maybe one day someone will find this Morphin Grid, and study how it works; I only pray that the person or persons that find it want to use that information for the side of good and not the side of evil."

"Whichever side finds it and studies it; one day we will know all there is to know about how this knowledge is passed from the Grid to a Ranger; however in my quest to discover how I could HEAR Trini speak to me when I was morphed I came across some that believe that there are two sides to the Grid. A light side, or good side of the grid, and a dark, or evil, side that together make up the entire framework of the Grid and that one side cannot be more powerful that the other. I have no idea and would – had I not been a Power Ranger – believe that this is the same argument that all cultures possess, even those we consider aliens, of right and wrong; good and evil."

"Perhaps the Grid is all of that and perhaps the being, or beings, that created it in the beginning weren't looking for super powers, but for the very answer to that question. We know that Earth humans can't survive without a diurnal cycle of day and night and that is probably true for most all of those that evolved on another carbon based world as well." Nigel pondered aloud as he added to the conversation. "It may be that the origins of the Morphin Grid were a race that were very advanced and constructed the Grid to answer the very questions of right and wrong for their race. I am just thankful that, whomever or whatever created the Grid, it exists and there are special people out there, present company included of course, that can utilize its powers to protect against extraordinary foes."

"I find myself in full agreement with Nigel on that." Andrew Collins said with a smile for the four Power Rangers in the room with him. "I'd also like to add that I am extremely grateful for having a son that is not only special to me but that creation saw fit to make him special enough that he became a Power Ranger and remains one today – working alongside his friend and teammate to continue to keep our small part of Earth safe."

Wes blushed slightly but added softly, "And I am extremely grateful, as well as humbled, to be able to love someone that is as very special to me and was just as equally special to creation to make him my friend, my teammate, my partner, and my lover." Wes smiled softly and picked up Eric's hand from the couch, bringing it to his lips as he tenderly kiss the open palm. "In case you didn't catch that; I'm talking about you Eric." He teased lovingly. "I do love you, very much."

Eric smiled, a real smile, as he nodded to Wes before he leaned over and gave him an uncharacteristic public kiss. "I'm thankful to have someone like you and your father in my life, Wes. I don't know where I would be if I didn't, but I do know – in my heart – that I would be as happy as I am now and that I wouldn't have ever had the privilege of being a Power Ranger if fate and luck hadn't steered me to Silver Hills and working for the Silver Guardians. I also know that I love you very much too."

Tommy and Billy smiled as did Andrew Collins and Nigel as the two sat together on the sofa, holding hands, as the conversation was changed to a different subject. It wasn't long after the subject change that Billy said quietly to Tommy, "We should be getting back to the hotel soon, Tommy; we have a lot of long days ahead of us inventorying our old Zord Bay."

"Yeah, we should go soon," Tommy answered back just as softly but then added, "I'm hoping that Eric will get the call about that background check they're doing on Michelson before we do, though. I'd like to hear, if they let us, what they found out."

It wasn't much later after Tommy and Billy's quietly spoken words that the dinner party started breaking up. Wes joined Eric in the Silver Guardians SUV to drive the two visitors back to their hotel in downtown Silver Hills.

"Sorry if we excluded you guys just before we left." Wes said with an apologetic and sheepish tone of voice. "We didn't mean to, but my dad is probably completely incapable of NOT talking about business at any time of the day or night."

"It was fine, Wes," Tommy told him with a nod. "Bill and I got some initial plans worked out for our 'inventory' work we're going to be starting in the morning; so it's all good."

"We didn't not feel excluded and should probably apologize to you and your father for getting distracted in discussing our plans for how to go about our work tomorrow," Billy added with a smile.

"Actually, we all got distracted and since the base hasn't called, I guess we'll all have to wait to find out what shows up in Michelson's deep background check come morning," Eric said as he expertly maneuvered the SUV through the light late night traffic of Silver Hills. "It shouldn't take too much longer to get you back to your hotel. Just do me a favor before you both head off to 'work' in the morning? Stop into our office and let Wes or me know you're on-site, okay?"

"We will," Billy answered for them both. "If Tommy doesn't stop in, I will make sure one of us reports that we're on – well under – Bio-Lab's property, Eric."

"And the four of us are going to have to arrange emergency procedures, too," Wes reminded all four of them. "Just so we know what's going on and also so our people know not to push the panic button if Eric or I disappear from in front of their faces."

"Yeah, we'll do that first thing in the morning before we head down to start cataloging everything in the Zord Bay, Wes," Tommy promised, Red Ranger to Red Ranger instead of friend to friend. "Jason would have my hide if anything happened to either one of us because we didn't take precautions. Hell he just about verbally filleted the hide off of my halfway-dead ass after they fished me out of the ocean after the island blew up," Tommy said with a huff but with a chuckle of acceptance at the same time.

"That is our very over protective big brother for you, Tom; even if he is the exact same age we are," Billy said with a smile and a nod. "I have no wish to have his ire directed at me because you were injured and we didn't take appropriate precautions or enact some sort of safety measures just as I have no wish for him to direct that ire at you because of me," Billy added emphatically and honestly.

"I don't want him pissed at me or Wes either," Eric said as he pulled into the hotel's driveway and stopped the SUV at the front door. "We'll make our plan and do a couple of practices before you two start for the day tomorrow. Have a good night, and since you both feel the same about Michelson as we do – we won't keep you in the dark about what we find," Eric promised as he smiled to both men.

"Thank you; and Wes, please thank your father and Nigel for the dinner. It was great," Tommy said as he opened the rear passenger door of the SUV in preparation for getting out.

"Yes, please thank your father for the invitation as well as the excellent meal, Wes." Billy said as he was doing the same on the driver's side of the SUV. "Have a good night, both of you," Billy teased lightly before he got out and closed the door. He walked around the rear of the vehicle to join Tommy and both men waved to their friends and fellow Rangers, before they turned and headed into the hotel.

Eric drove away once the two men had disappeared into the hotel and headed back to the Collins' mansion to drop his passenger off. "So ... am I staying the night with you tonight Wes, or are you going to come back to my place?" Eric asked in a matter of fact tone of voice but also reached over and took Wes' left hand with his right one.

Wes smiled softly at Eric's gesture and lifted Eric's hand to his mouth, kissing the inside of the Quantum Ranger's wrist lightly just before he replied with a soft smile, "Well ... Nige did say that he'd already prepared my room for us for the night; why ignore his thoughtfulness just for me to grab a change of clothes and then drive all the way to the opposite side of town and your place, Eric? Stay with me tonight and we can drive in together in the morning."

Eric smiled and gave Wes' hand a quick squeeze and said, "Far be it from me to ignore Nigel's thoughtfulness at anytime, my love." Eric pulled their hands back down to the arm rests for each seat, but didn't release Wes' hand for the drive back to Wes' home. He parked the SUV where he usually parked his car when he visited and the two, for once using the front door, made their way inside for the night.

****** Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep *******

**AN2: **I'm ending the chapter here and I hope everyone isn't disappointed in how this chapter worked out. It's been almost two years since I was writing on this tale and I made the mistake of not making notes for myself as to how all of this would eventually come out. I didn't have a 'revelation' for what the background check on George Michelson will turn out to be because I am still working that out for myself as I go. Huge thanks to ThePink1_at_ for all of the beta work on this chapter. As always, please leave me a review and let me know what you think of this; Pern.


	7. Evil Returns as Color Clash

From Newsprint Straight to the Heart

By: PernDragonrider

**Disclaimer:** Buena Vista Television, Disney, Saban, Toei, and Ranger Productions own Power Rangers; not me and I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue.

**Author's Note:** Well I guess this will be a shock to everyone, another chapter without a two year delay. Well at least in this fic, the others that are unfinished just aren't sparking the muses as much as this one is. I really hope that everyone enjoys the twist of what comes of the investigation into my semi-original character in this tale, George Michelson. I want to thank ThePink1_at_ for all the help and for doing the beta work on this chapter for me. As always, please read and review to let me know what you think; thanks – Pern. Now onto the tale...

**Chapter Seven – Evil Returns as Colors Clash**

The night passed for everyone, as it always does, and the next morning saw Dr. Cranston and Dr. Oliver again conversing over a cup of coffee in the coffee shop of the hotel that was a temporary home for them both as they'd been called to consult with Bio-Labs in Silver Hills. Dr. Cranston worked for Bio-Labs but in the division down the coast in Angel Grove, while Dr. Oliver was a paleontologist and high school science teacher in Reefside California – approximately as far up coast from Silver Hills as Angel Grove was down the coast. The fact that they'd met halfway accidentally wasn't even in their minds as both were sipping on their coffee as they read over the morning newspaper, each having one delivered to their room so they were comfortably enjoying a leisurely morning read while also giving Silver Hills' rush hour time to taper off.

No words were exchanged, by mutual agreement, except for general comments regarding the articles being read. Anyone looking at the two of them wouldn't be able to tell they were both highly excited and eager to start their day; the only tell-tale sign that either of them actually HAD something to do was the almost chronic checking of the time on the large gold banded watch worn on Dr. Cranston's right wrist and the now matching one that graced Dr. Oliver's right wrist while a large silver cuff with a black gem cabochon setting graced his left wrist.

"So you are going to start in on the computer systems while I do the grunt work and start moving things around today?" Tommy asked as he closed and refolded the paper he was reading, putting it onto the table they shared, as he also took the last drink of coffee from his cup.

"That would be a great way to go about things; however my investigations yesterday told me everything I needed to know about the computer systems, for now. So we'll both be working on getting things cleaned up as well as cataloging what's there, Tom." Billy answered with a sigh as he wasn't quite done with the financial/business section of the paper.

"I've got our next round of coffee, Bill," Tommy said as he got up from the chair and went to the counter to get them both refills. _"Well that hasn't changed, he still reads everything in the paper and sighs with exasperation if you interrupt him."_ Tommy thought and smiled slightly at the times he knew that Billy's morning routine had been interrupted abruptly by being called to fight off a monster attack. Tommy made his way back to the table, fresh coffee for both of them in his hand, and he sat back down, putting Billy's coffee cup down on the table before he sat back to watch the comings and goings in the hotel's semi-busy lobby while he waited for his friend to finish his reading.

Billy finished the article he was reading and then looked up surprised that Tommy had remained quiet, as the last time they'd been together first thing in the morning, Tommy had bugged him to no end about when he'd be done, just as soon as Tommy himself had finished checking the scores on the sports pages. He took a sip of his coffee and nodded to Tommy as he said, "Been a long time since we shared a morning together, Tommy. You've changed, since you didn't seem to need to continually pester me about when I'd be done and it seems you've decided that current events are worth perusing as well as the sports pages." Billy teased lightly.

Tommy chuckled softly and gave Billy a smile as he replied to the teasing, "Well, considering I hated mornings … heck, I still do, and would rather have stayed in bed. Most mornings all I had time for was to have a quick cup of coffee or glass of juice and to skim the sports scores before I had to run for classes. You're the one that was always up at the 'crack of dawn', Bill."

Billy nodded but then added, "Didn't need much sleep back then, Tom. Besides with all of our extracurricular activities – well it was usually that I slept at Z's place and then came home when I was woken up by his Alpha alarm."

Tommy nodded and checked the time on his watch, again, but sighed as it showed that it was still close to 8:30 in the morning and just about peak rush hour traffic outside. "Still gonna be too much traffic if we leave now, but I'd like to get started soon."

"As would I, however I would like to ask a favor, Tom."

"What do you need, Bill?"

"I wasn't fully informed about the work I'd be researching and I find myself lacking the proper clothing for all of the dusty and dirty work we're going to be doing. I called the desk this morning and there is a twenty-four hour mass market retail store about halfway between here and Bio-Labs. I would appreciate if we could make a detour there so I can purchase some clothing that won't be ruined with our mucking about."

"You didn't bring any jeans or clothes to relax in?" Tommy asked with some surprise as he'd brought mostly clothes that would stand up to the rigors of a dig site and just one or two suits in case he had to wear them for a business function while he was there. "Okay, we'll stop at Wal-Mart for you to get you some 'new' grunge clothes and then we'll head on over to Bio-Lab to start our day. I probably should also check to see if they're going to continue to cover my expenses; since – well you know" Tommy said as he quickly finished his coffee and gathered up the paper he'd finished reading earlier with his empty cup for disposal.

"I'm sure Mr. Collins will continue to cover both of our expenses, Tom, but you are correct and it cannot hurt to check into that before we start into our work for the day." Billy nodded as he gathered up his paper and his now empty paper coffee cup as well. He took Tommy's items and put everything into a nearby receptacle before he stepped back over to their table and picked up the soft leather case that doubled as his laptop case as well as his briefcase. "Ready to go when you are, Tom."

Tommy nodded as he stood up and grabbed the leather messenger bag, a gift from Hayley, that had been his briefcase for school. Now it contained all of his archeological tools, as he slung that over his head he also picked up the hard aluminum case that kept his laptop safe from damage, especially since he'd been coming to a work site.

"I noticed that you carry a separate briefcase and computer transport case; why, Tommy?" Billy stated as they were making their way out the front of the hotel and to Tommy's black jeep in the parking lot.

Tommy got his car keys out of his pants pocket as they reached his jeep and he was putting his things into the back. "The messenger bag is what I keep my dig tools in, Bill; the hard aluminum shock proof case is necessary for keeping my laptop safe on dig sites. I'm not always the one that's carrying it and I've had to replace too many over the years because someone else was careless. It's just habit, especially when going to work on a dig, to carry both."

"Ah, I see," Billy said as he climbed into the passenger side of Tommy's jeep, put his case in the back with Tommy's, and then buckled his seat belt. "I should probably check into getting a case like that for my laptop; I'm sure it could double as a briefcase if I needed it too."

"It can," Tommy said as he eased the jeep out of his parking space and turned the nose toward the street and their next destination of Wal-Mart. "With my line of work, I always wear clothing that can stand up to mucking around in dirt, or worse; but I can't believe you didn't bring any 'grunge' clothes with you, Bill." Tommy said as he negotiated the traffic so he could get to the turn lane for the entrance to the store they were headed for. "You could have borrowed something of mine for the day, if you'd have said something before now."

"I wasn't really thinking about that until I thought of the work we'd be doing today." Billy admitted with a slight smile on his face. "I was actually doing more reminiscing about the last time we had the pleasure of sharing a leisurely morning."

"You mean those rare days, between attacks, when Mondo wasn't attacking at all hours of the day and night, or when we weren't doing the same because we were all up cramming for tests or getting homework done that we couldn't do the day before because of an attack?" Tommy asked with an answering smile on his face. "I was remembering the same thing, Bill."

Billy nodded and smiled once more as he asked, "So have you chewed out your friend that placed the advertisement in the paper yet?"

"No, and I won't – now," Tommy replied with a smile. "I didn't realize how much I missed you and the others until we were having coffee yesterday. I could murder her for announcing to anyone that saw that and 'read' between the lines that I was bi; but she meant well and it was done because she cares about me."

"I see, so you won't be giving your friend grief about the classified ad, but I always thought you were straight – like Jason."

"Jason isn't straight," Tommy said with certainty. "What gave you the idea he was?"

"He's not?" came the startled and very surprised reply as Tom found a parking place for his jeep that wasn't too far from the doors.

"No, he's not. He's dated both men and women, probably more men than women."

"Well shit," Bill said with chuckle. "And here I thought he was straight and wouldn't appreciate advances by me, or you."

Tommy just chuckled and smiled as he said, "He'd have appreciated them, but I think I'd appreciate making advances to or getting advances from you more, Bill." Tommy ended seriously as he reached over and took Billy's hand into his. "I do love him, but too much as a brother and not enough as a possible lover. After Kimberly gave you that makeover I had to make myself stop staring at you, Bill. Even when I was dating her at the time, my fantasies were about you - not her."

"I found my fantasies centering around you and Jason together," Billy admitted as he gave Tommy's hand a gentle squeeze and then smiled at him. "Maybe we can have a 'date' while we are together here and see if we could be compatible; however I really have no wish to strain our long friendship if we aren't."

"A date to see if we're good together won't strain our friendship, Bill. We'll see how it goes because we're going to be spending a lot of time working together to get everything working again in the old Zord Bay as well as seeing what's there in the computers and in storage."

"Then we'll know sooner if we can make a go of a deeper relationship than friends, and Rangers." Billy replied as he nodded and gave Tommy a soft smile. "First things are first; I need new 'grunge' clothes as you called them, then we need to implement security procedures with Eric and Wes. Once that's done we also need to check on the financial situation with Bio-Labs. A teacher, in the public school system, does not make enough to afford a room for a lengthy stay in the hotel we are currently housed in."

"No I don't and I'd rather not have to go into what savings I do have to pay for a place to stay while working here. I'd have to commute and it wouldn't be that bad, but still it's about an hour and half drive from my home just outside of Reefside to the outer city limits of Silver Hills and the Bio-Lab facility is all the way on the other side of town, closer to Angel Grove."

"You can always, if they won't cover your expenses, share with me, Tom." Billy told him as he gave Tommy's hand another squeeze. "I don't believe that Mr. Collins will remove his offer and will continue to cover both of our expenses while we are here working on the Zord Bay, but if he removes yours and continues to cover mine – then you are more than welcome to share my room with me."

"We'll see, Bill," Tommy sighed slightly as he released Billy's hand. "Let's get you some grunge clothes and then by the time you've got enough for this project the roads won't be as congested heading into Bio-Labs. Come on, and I'm glad I hadn't removed the hard-top yet; we won't have to carry our laptop and brief cases around the store with us. I also want to grab us some bottled water and something to snack on if we get hungry. Moving those Zord parts are not going to be as easy as it was when we were full-time Rangers. It's going to be long, back-breaking work, but we'll manage."

Billy nodded and then leaned over and kissed Tommy on the cheek; "We'll manage, just like we always did, Tom."

Tommy smiled and the two climbed out of his jeep, locking the doors, and heading into the store for Billy to get appropriate clothing and for them both to get themselves stocked with water and energy providing, semi-healthy, snack food.

_******* Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep - Go Go Power Rangers *******_

Tommy and Billy, both dressed in comfortable clothes that would withstand the rigors of the work they were going to be doing, were shown into Wes and Eric's shared office. Wes and Eric weren't there but the Silver Guardian that showed them into the office said they'd be returning shortly and that the two men should wait for them. Tommy and Billy sat down to wait and it was only two or three minutes later before both Wes and Eric were back in their office with matching scowls.

"Look I know the background check I did on Michelson – when he was first hired – had MORE information on it than the one we just got back, Wes." Eric said in exasperation as he dropped the file on his desk in disgust. "Seriously according to this the damned man sprang up out of the ground in 1997 fully grown."

"1997," Tommy asked, continuing before anyone could answer him as he cussed, "Fucking shit, no wonder every alarm bell in me sets off when I'm around the man."

The other three men in the room looked at him strangely and it was Wes that asked, ordered, "Explain."

"1997 is when the Zordon Wave struck," Tommy said and chuckled, "There weren't many from the Alliance of Evil that didn't get turned to dust, just 10 former Ranger foes survived the wave. Zedd, Rita Repulsa, Scorpina, Goldar, Rito Revolto, Finster, Baboo, Squatt, Astronema, and Divatox were the ten that survived and were returned to human form. Michelson has to have been Zedd, Goldar, Rito, Finster, Baboo, or Squatt since I can't really see Rita, Scorpina, or Divatox deciding to masquerade as a human male. Astronema was Andros' sister Karone so, it can't be her."

"So the man that works very closely with my father is one of the Angel Grove Power Rangers' old bad guys? Wes asked and then nodded. "It would make sense that the background check I ran on him then had a good history and now it doesn't since he wouldn't bother keeping up the ruse after he got established here."

"And that would also explain his problems with Bio-Labs not pushing for ownership of the contents of your Zord Bay." Wes stated then asked, "What do we do now?"

"You could stop looking into everything and let me live my life." Michelson said from the doorway and sighed as he stepped in and closed the door. "I don't have 'designs' on anything in the Zord Bay, except for the teleportation capabilities as they can send me – home." Michelson added. "The extra income that I have access to is NOT from selling any Bio-Labs secrets, but comes from bank accounts I set up – here on Earth – before I was hired to work here. Legitimate accounts started with monies made from selling jewels and precious metals. I am, was, Lord Zedd and all I really desire is to be allowed to use the teleportation in your Zord Bay to be able to check on my home – to see if it's being taken care of and to see if my friends – family – consisting of Goldar and Scorpina, are doing all right."

"Zedd," Tommy asked and surprised them all with the compassion in his voice that he was showing his one time enemy. "How did you come to be stranded on Earth?"

"When Rita and I were rescued from the world we'd been attacking, after the wave passed and returned us to our normal forms, I discovered that I wasn't really welcome back on Eltar – my home. I sent Goldar and Scorpina back to keep an eye on my family estate and I asked if our rescuers would put me on a world that had SOME technology. I never expected them to drop me back on Earth and they left me with just what I was wearing and nothing more." Zedd explained as he took a seat in one of the chairs before Eric's desk. "I used what little bit of dark power I could still access to create a fake identity and background for myself. Since then I have worked at jobs I could find until I was hired by Bio-Labs; however there are some creature comforts and necessities I have to have in order to survive on your world and they are not cheap to purchase."

"What do you need," Tommy asked with concern in his voice.

"Why are you being so nice to him, Tommy?" Eric snapped his demand for an answer harshly.

"Because Zordon would want me to help Zedd if we could," Tommy answered with sincerity in his voice. "He'd want those of us that were HIS Rangers to help those his sacrifice returned to their non-evil beginnings any way we could."

"Organically grown foods, my system won't allow me to survive eating foods that you can – the chemicals in and on them make me sick. Even the organically grown foods weren't exactly nourishing for me – at first – but my body, thankfully, adapted. My one – vice – is an addiction to electronics. Computers, cellular phones, televisions, stereo equipment, even household automation. That is what I've used most of those old – emergency – accounts for is to feed my electronic addiction; that I had even when I was Lord Zedd. This is how I really looked, under the spell that disguised my true form, when I was – to those of the Council of Light – evil. We that survived are not evil beings; we just are people that cannot use the powers of the light side of the grid. Our powers – our magic – came from the opposite side. The Alliance of Evil wasn't always named that; it started out being called the Council of Dark and to use a reference you would understand the two councils acted much like your congress and senate do. However instead of a President we had the Eltarian High Council that governed our world – drawing up the law and the like."

"So you're not selling Bio-Lab secrets but using bank accounts you established when you were attacking Earth," Eric said as Wes said, "Swiss or Caribbean accounts just require an account number and access code; if you know it you can do anything with the money in the account."

"The power in the Zord Bay is limited, Zedd," Billy told him truthfully as he accepted Zedd's explanation of things with a nod. "I know that we can teleport in and out, but the long distance teleportation system is definitely off line and unless we can get the Bay fully functional once more that will probably be permanently unavailable. However, we do have other resources available that can either forward a message to Goldar and Scorpina on Eltar, or even provide travel for you to go there in person."

"I don't know that I'll ever be accepted back on Eltar, Bill." Zedd said with a sigh. "The Council of Dark is not as powerful as the Council of Light and they have the High Council in their pockets, so to speak."

"Well I think I'd better go and tell Dad that his executive assistant isn't a thief or doing something illegal and that we shouldn't fire him." Wes said as he nodded to Zedd and left the office.

"You're sure he can't still be a bad guy?" Eric asked warily as he glared at Zedd/Michelson standing in his office. "Just one question: why do you always treat me like I'm the scum of the Earth?"

"Because your personality sucks," Zedd told him truthfully and continued, "You are always short and snappy with everyone as if you're ordering around troops or that you can't stand the person you're talking to."

Tommy chuckled as did Billy and Tommy said, "Zedd, you come off that way yourself; you sure there's not another reason?"

"Well telling him that I wanted to throw him over the desk and fuck his brains out wouldn't be a good thing considering he and Wes are both always carrying weapons when they're here and the fact that they are clearly a bonded couple. That puts both off limits for me because I will not break them apart."

"Humans do not bond like Eltarians do, Zedd." Billy stated seriously but he added – with a slight smile, "However it probably would not be a good thing to try and take one from the other."

"I wouldn't but I also know they aren't the type that would welcome a third," Zedd's answer was serious and stated normally but it made Eric glare at him even more.

"There's no way in fucking hell…" Eric snapped as he was going to stand up and lunge for Michelson/Zedd to hit him.

Eric was surprised when Tommy held him in his chair and said, "Don't Eric," Tommy ordered his fellow Red sharply. "Eltarian people can and do have triad relationships, Eric. When Zedd said that – to him – you and Wes were clearly bonded and off-limits; he means it. Marriage on Eltar is much more than we have on Earth. They not only commit to remaining faithful to each other and all that we do but they have another step where the couple, or triad, links their minds mentally. Breaking that connection is a huge no-no there."

"What the hell? He admits he trashed you guys and your town yet you're both going to help him?" Eric said with an angry growl. "I should just shoot the fucker; he's got you all under some kind of hypnotic spell or something."

"No spell," Zedd said before either Tommy or Billy could answer. "I used what little power I dared to use to create the persona of George Michelson. Without my staff I dare not try and use the grid for anything. So I couldn't have either of them under a spell."

"I just don't understand why you're here in Silver Hills and why here at Bio-Labs?" Eric demanded.

"Because being in Angel Grove or Stone Canyon could possibly risk me running into one of the former Rangers I battled against. I still have some access to the dark powers of the grid, extremely limited because I do not have my staff, but that remnant in me would affect those that had remnants of the powers of the light side of the Grid in them. Silver Hills is somewhat neutral territory as the powers you and Wes hold shouldn't react as strongly to the dark powers as those of other Rangers. If you look at my work history I have worked my way up the coast from Angel Grove to here because I found I affected the Rangers there adversely and I'd no wish to wind up on their 'radar'." Zedd explained with a heavy sigh.

"So here you are in Silver Hills and if it hadn't been for Bio-Labs constructing a new laboratory Billy and I wouldn't be here to have a reaction to your dark side of the Grid's powers you have." Tommy said with a nod. "Do you think that Andros or Trey would have a problem giving Zedd a ride to Eltar, Bill? If not maybe they'd take a message for him to Scorpina and Goldar first and then we can work out some form of communications for him after that so he can keep in touch with them." Tommy asked Billy.

"If Andros or Trey won't take Zedd to visit his home on Eltar; I'm sure that Aurico or one of the Aquitain Rangers would come and provide transport for him, Tom." Billy said with a smile as he added, "Provided I ask them in the proper form of address."

"Well that's the great Michelson mystery solved, and now to get to work discovering everything that's down in the old Zord Bay. There has to be a good reason we found it at this time and we should make sure we find everything there because it just might be needed by us or some team that's coming into their powers soon." Tommy said as he nodded to Wes and Eric. "We should work out our emergency procedures so Bill and I can get to work, guys. Now we can concentrate on what's going on, as well as finding out if Bio-Lab is going to continue to provide our hotel rooms for the time it takes to get all of this done."

"Bio-Labs will continue to pay for both of your rooms, gentlemen," Andrew Collins said as he came into the room with his son following closely behind him. "George, I understand you were somewhat of a 'character' in both Dr. Oliver and Dr. Cranston's younger live; given that, I think I'd like to hear about your life and your home some more. Also, if you'd like, feel free to have Human Resources change the name on your files if you'd prefer to use your given name and not the pseudonym you're using."

"Dad is okay with the fact he used to be Lord Zedd, Emperor of Evil," Wes said with a smile and a nod to Zedd as he sat there slightly stunned but nodding to his employer. "So while they kibitz about 'power' and 'leadership' together; why don't you and I work out some quickly and easily remembered emergency procedures for Tom and Bill. They can get to work and we can get back to our normal routine for the day too." Wes stated to his co-commander, lover, and friend.

"That sounds just fine to me, Wes," Eric said before he turned to Zedd and snarled warningly at him, "Remember we are a couple and if you go sniffing around my boyfriend or me; I will put you in the hospital Michelson, Zedd, whatever the hells your name is."

Eric then grabbed Wes and stalked out of his office with a smiling Tommy and Billy following while a scowling Andrew Collins and his nearly laughing hysterically executive assistant stayed behind in the office shared by the two men that led the Silver Guardians.

_******* Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep - Go Go Power Rangers *******_

"Well those should be easy to remember and our check in times are programmed into both of our laptops as well as our watches to remind us to call in," Tommy said with a smile as he and Billy were preparing to teleport into the old Mighty Morphin Power Rangers first Zord Bay. "We have emergency supplies of water and some food with us, just in case. We might be breathless and could possibly be calling you two to give us a hand moving some of the heavier parts down there. I know you can still morph on a regular basis and we might need the extra heft to move some of those Zord remnants out of the way."

"Just call if you need us, for anything," Wes told Tommy as Eric nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind looking over that T-Rex of Jason's to see how much like my Q-Rex it might be." Eric added with a tone that was mostly teasing yet also serious at the same time.

"We'll keep that in mind," Billy said as he nodded to Tommy and two men teleported, along with their laptops, briefcases, the case of bottled water, and the three large bags of non-perishable food they'd picked up that morning at the store. "We're safely inside," Tommy relayed to the two men on the surface that were waiting at the staging area they'd devised that would be monitored by a Silver Guardian whenever anyone was below working, in case of emergency.

"Received and your signal is great, sirs," The private assigned to the post for the day replied to Tommy's call. "Next check in call is scheduled for you and Dr. Cranston in two hours, Dr. Oliver. Per the new system, if you don't call up to us; I'll call down in two hours and fifteen minutes. No answer and Commander Myers and Commander Collins will be joining you because an emergency will be declared."

"Good, we might test that, just to make sure this all works as it should," Tommy replied seriously as Billy nodded his agreement. "I know that Dr. Cranston has fixed it so your communication equipment can receive signals from our communicators, but not the first call in, but we'll test this to make sure the connection is stable as well as to see if the emergency teleportation signals work all right for Wes and Eric. Keep a light on for us, topside, and wish us luck."

"Good luck," Eric said as he took the mic from the private at the staging area. "Staging area out, Dr. Oliver." Eric handed the microphone back to the private and nodded as he and Wes made their way back to their office, stopping and checking on other Silver Guardian posts along the way. It was no surprise to the two men that Wes's father and his assistant were no longer ensconced in their shared office.

"Weird that a Zord Bay for a team of Rangers in Angel Grove would show up underneath a piece of land in Silver Hills, but I can see how it was – ultimately – better than what happened when the Power Chamber was destroyed and that had an attached Zord Bay." Eric said once he and Wes were in the privacy of their office.

"Yes weird, but also, worrisome, Eric." Wes said as he sat down behind his desk and started going over emergency plans in case the facility was attacked, by conventional means and non-conventional means. "It's the reason I'm going over the emergency plans and also going to pass the word that we're going to be conducting drills as well as stepping up the security for a few weeks. Like Tommy, I don't think anything is a coincidence, Eric; we could come under attack – if Tommy is right and what's down there was found because it will be needed by a team, soon."

"I think that Trip, Lucas, Katie, Jen, or Alex would get some kind of warning to us if something was coming our way, Wes," Eric told him but nodded and added, "I know, even if he is – clean to a point – it gives me the willies to know that your dad's assistant was, is, on the wrong side of the fence."

"Not the wrong side of the fence so much as the wrong side of the grid," Wes told him as he nodded his agreement and the two went to work reviewing long unused emergency plans as well as notifying all Silver Guardians and Bio-Labs personnel that they would be increasing security around the facility for the foreseeable future.

_******* Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep - Go Go Power Rangers *******_

"Well, we've got two hours before our first call in; what do we want to tackle first, Bill?" Tommy asked as soon as the communication from the surface was ended.

"I think we should start cataloging what's in all the things stored below, Tommy." Billy answered him with a nod. "We can't go to the lowest levels without arranging for some kind of life-support system being brought in, but we can do the upper levels – and maybe find the 'fuse', for want of a better word, that we need to augment the air recirculation systems and bring them fully back on line."

"Okay, that sounds good to me; which of us types faster?" Tommy asked as he indicated both of their laptops still closed on a nearby inactive console.

"Better way to do this would be to check the computer; it is working and all we need to do is to verify that what it says is here – is actually here – and in the location where the computer thinks it is." Billy told him as he walked over to the console and brought up the inventory of the first level below where they currently were in the main bay. "We can access this for the first five levels down; which is as far as we can go before we'd need to use some other life-support; the system isn't circulating air in levels six through fifteen and the deeper we go the worse the air quality will be, Tom."

Tommy nodded and he still grabbed his laptop and prepared to climb down to the next level. "Be that as it may, I'm taking my laptop with me; it has a basic drafting program on it that I use on digs – we can use it to map the lower levels as we go, Bill. This way we'll know where everything is later. Because if I remember correctly everything below this level is marked in Eltarian and I am really, really out of practice reading that language. I'd rather mark things in the computer and use some chalk on the doors or walls to mark it in English, especially if we're going to have others down here helping us after a while. It's safer for us all, as well as safer for Eric and Wes if they have to come get us – things will be clearly marked for them."

"Agreed," Billy said with a smile and held the hatch open for Tommy to crawl down the ladder to the floor below. He locked the hatch open as Tommy climbed down the 20 feet to the next floor and then he followed. "Might as well start marking from the ladder, as it looks like a protective door has jammed closed so the only way we can go is to the left; thankfully it's circular – it's just a LONG circle." Billy said with a smile as he started off to the left, the lighting slightly dim but giving enough light for both men to see things clearly.

Billy stopped at the first computer panel and brought up the list of stores that were supposed to be on this level. He typed in a quick query, in Eltarian, to check to see if any of the parts for restoring full power to the base were on this level. He scowled when he saw that all of the necessary parts that would be needed were stored in the lowest levels; those they couldn't reach at this time without being morphed or taking bulky and restrictive breathing gear with them. "Well that is a bust," Billy grumbled to Tommy as he joined him at the panel. "All the parts we need for replacing the fused and burnt out power couplings are stored down on the two lowest levels. However, according to this inventory, the filers and items we need to restore full circulation abilities to the Zord Bay are stored on this level. Once working and giving it time to get all the old musty air out; getting to the parts for the power couplings will be easily accessed; provided this inventory placement is accurate."

"Yes well if Alpha did it, it will be accurate; if he didn't then we might find everything reversed." Tommy told Billy seriously. "Also we don't know how much access those that built the Command Center had to this facility, Bill. That inventory could be millennia old and nothing we need will be here. I'm thinking it might be easier to go and see if we can't get into the lower levels of the Power Chamber and scavenge what we might need from there; if there's anything there salvageable."

"Let's see how accurate this inventory is first, Tom," Billy told him as he nodded to the first door on their right. "That room should be stocked with filters and the chemicals for the air handling system, according to the inventory. Let's check it out and if it is, we can stop the inventory long enough to work on the air systems to get the lower levels habitable for inventory." Billy told him as he went to the door and smiled slightly as it slid easily open for him. "Looks like more than just the repair functions are still working," Billy smiled as he looked into the room and frowned as it was completely empty. "Well damn; so much for having luck today," He said as his voice echoed in the empty room slightly.

"Never is that easy on a dig, Bill," Tommy said with a soft smile on his face but his tone was disappointed as well. "Looks like we're going to have to go room to room finding the empty ones and marking the full ones to come back and inventory tomorrow."

"Plan B coming up," Billy said as he closed the door to the empty room and marked it with a large 'X' to indicate it was empty. "X equals empty, a circle can denote that it has contents to inventory, and we can indicate that it has been inventoried by putting a check mark in the circle; does that work for you, Tom?"

"As good a plan as any," Tommy told him noting the markings on his laptop's drafting program and marking the door Billy had just marked with an X on his 'drawing' as well. "Next door should be on our left. Gonna be a lot of walking but at least we've got on comfortable clothes and shoes for doing just that. We should be able to make the circuit of the level and then start back to inventory the rooms we find with stuff in them, after our first check in with the surface."

_******* Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep - Go Go Power Rangers *******_

Ten hours, five check-in calls to the surface – complete with a shift change in the staging room – finally saw Tommy and Billy back on the surface and walking wearily toward Tommy's nearby jeep. Both men were dusty and grungy from head to toe; yet anyone that looked closely would have seen matching smiles of accomplishment on both of their faces. They didn't talk much, out in the open, just made their way to Tommy's jeep and then back to their hotel to clean up, eat a meal, and then Tommy made a phone call to Eric's cell phone.

"This is Commander Myers," Eric answered his phone, not recognizing the number as Tommy had called Eric from his hotel room and not his cell phone.

"Eric, its Tommy; I just wanted to let you and Wes know that we've made some progress today and if you're free tomorrow we could use a couple of extra sets of hands. Also, if you would ask Wes's father and Zedd to join us below tomorrow; there are some things we've found that we're comfortable turning over to Bio-Labs for their people to salivate over."

"I'll let Mr. Collins and Zedd know in the morning, Tommy. Wes hasn't stopped by yet, but I think we can give you guys a hand tomorrow without too many problems being caused. We'll let you know when we meet up in the morning before you head down to finish up your work on the chamber."

"All right, we're both beat; I'm making a call to Jason then turning in for the night. See you tomorrow Eric." Tommy told his fellow red ranger before he hung up without giving Eric the chance to say good-bye. He sighed and then lifted his cell phone and called his best friend, someone he considered to be a brother. He wasn't surprised to get Jason's voice-mail instead of an answer and he left a message for his 'bro' much like the one he'd left for the all red team up mission "Jase, its Tom; give me a call when you get this message, unlike before there's no time limit on this return call, but as soon as you can would be great, bro. I'm here with Bill and we've found something that belonged to you at one time. Thought you might like to come and see for yourself – especially since your Rex is here missing you. Oh yeah and our inside out man, Z, is here working for Bio-Labs – of all places – but even though he can give off some dark vibes; he's cool and legit. Call me, bro; we – Bill and me – need your advice on a few things as well as we could use some of your muscle helping us move parts and the like. You remember the drill; I know you do. Call me and don't panic if you get our voice-mails; can't exactly get good signals down in that old robotics bay we used back in high school."

Tommy hung up and flopped onto his bed, smiling as he saw Billy coming out of his bedroom and into the room Tommy currently occupied; they'd discussed it – during one of their check ins – and they now shared a suite at the hotel that gave them two bedrooms along with a large living area to share. The advantage of that was that it also gave them a large area to make the detailed drawings representing what they'd found that day.

"Got Eric on the phone, he's going to relay our request to Wes as well as to Andrew and Zedd." Tommy told Billy as he took a seat next to Tommy on the couch. "No surprise, got Jason's voice mail and I left him a message to get in touch with us when he could. Now that we've got the first level done; I'm looking forward to doing the next level tomorrow, but not looking forward to it being as empty as this one was. Half of the inventory that should have been there isn't and there's nothing in the computer to indicate what or when it was used up for." Tommy told him with his tone of voice becoming worried as well as being tinged with the sharpness of command and leadership.

"It could well be that the supplies listed in the computer were used up just after the bay was completed and they were installed yet not removed from the inventory of the computer, Tom." Billy told him as he too was worried that the level, supposedly heavily stocked, was almost completely empty.

"I think what is bothering me the most is the fact that, for no reason we can find, one of the containment doors is down on every level and on some levels there's more than one down, Bill." Tommy told him seriously. "If this were a normal dig; all signs would point to raiders or looters."

"I agree, but who could have raided or looted the Zord Bay, Tom?" Billy asked him seriously. "After the Zeo Crystal rebuilt the Command Center into the Power Chamber – we never used this old bay again. Everything was self-contained in the new bay that was 'attached' to the Power Chamber. "We'll find out everything, but I have a feeling that everything we're going to need is going to be found in the lower levels and that we're going to have to use breathing gear to get to it. The automated systems for the main bay and the first five … well, okay, six floors is working well enough, but after that we're going to need some way to get oxygen down there for us to breathe; it's completely sealed off from the rest of the complex's life-support systems; just like the lower areas of the Command Center were sealed off and separate from what we used all the time."

"That's why I want Jase to come and see things for himself, Bill." Tommy told him truthfully. "If it comes to it, we can use scuba gear for breathing and working down there and just do it one room at the time. It wouldn't be the first time I've had to do something like that on a dig."

"Then we'll just go as we've been going until we hear from Jason, and get help tomorrow moving that whole room of medical equipment we found today. One level, one room, at the time;" Billy sighed as he said with a sad tone, "I miss them both; they were my friends."

"I miss them both too, Billy," Tommy said as he put his arm around Billy's shoulders and gave him a hug. "All of us that knew them miss them."

Billy leaned into Tommy's shoulder with a nod and the two men sat there for a long time, as each allowed their memories of a large floating head in a greenish blue tinged tube and a small artificially intelligent robot to flow thought their minds and ease the slight ache in their hearts that they'd never see either again. One gave his existence to temporarily wipe out most all of the evil in the universes; while the other was never found after the attack that resulted in Zordon's capture by Divatox and later Astronema.

"We both know, felt, Zordon's passing," Tommy said quietly after about fifteen minutes of his memories. "He wouldn't want us to mourn his passing too much. I did mourn, but now I can remember it with fondness; I just regret that Alpha five was never found. I miss him, and the other units aren't the same to me."

"I feel the same way, Tom." Billy said as he again sighed, this time with regret, as he moved away from Tommy. "I think we both need to hit the bed and sleep. Good night, Tommy." Billy stood up and then leaned down and gave Tommy a soft kiss on the lips.

Tommy returned the soft kiss, standing as he did, and wrapping Billy into his arms. He didn't push to deepen the kiss or increase the intimacy they were sharing, just simply held Bill in his arms for a few minutes with their foreheads together. "Good night, Bill; sweet dreams." Tommy wished him softly as they both let each other go. They each turned to their respective rooms, off the main living area, of the suite they now shared at the hotel. "See you in the morning," They both said in unison as they went into their bedrooms for much needed sleep. Tomorrow would be another day together and another step toward seeing if they could make a go of being together as a couple, but for now, they both wanted to maintain separate sleeping arrangements.

_******* Beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, Beep - Go Go Power Rangers *******_

TBC – End of Chapter Seven.

A/N2: I know that, in the Power Rangers in Space final episode, "Countdown to Destruction: Part II", that is shows Goldar and others I named as surviving the Zordon Wave being destroyed. Taking a little _literary license_ and deviating from show canon for purposes of this story.

Hope you liked the latest installment and I do apologize for the length between updates; however there are real life issues that take precedence over writing – unfortunately.

As always, please leave a review to let me know what you think of this chapter. Reviews, to writers, give us feedback so we can do better in the future. It also, just a bit, stokes the ego to know we've written something people find enjoyable. So click the review button to let me know what you think; thanks as always, Pern.

P.S. Pretty please with your favorite ranger in a bow on top – leave a review.


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